Dorothy Gail (Schleiden) Klosterbuer

Dorothy Gail (Schleiden) Klosterbuer was born on October 10, 1947 in Lynwood, California.  She was the daughter of Charles and Alice (Hixenbaugh) Schleiden.  She grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of Maywood, California graduating from Huntington High School.  She received her BA and MA degrees in political science from California State University Los Angeles.  She completed requirements for a PhD in political science at the University of Illinois.  During her time at the University of Illinois she met her future husband, Jim Klosterbuer.  She attended the Paralegal Institute in Philadelphia to become a paralegal in 1975.

Dorothy and Jim were married on July 31, 1975 at the State Line Presbyterian Church near Ellsworth, MN.  After their marriage, they moved to the Washington, DC area where Dorothy worked as a paralegal with the Steptoe and Johnson law firm in Washington, D.C.  In 1979, Dorothy and Jim moved to Cedar Rapids, IA.  Dorothy worked as a paralegal with Iowa Electric Light & Power Company.  During this time Dorothy decided she loved the law so attended the University of Iowa and earned her JD in 1982.  She worked for a year as an attorney with the Internal Revenue Service in Kansas City.  She next became a Johnson County (Iowa) Assistant Attorney.  She finished her successful career working as a Law Clerk for the Iowa Sixth District County Judges from 1989 until her retirement in 2005.

Their son, David, was born in December, 1985.  One of the favorite family activities was packing a picnic lunch and taking a hike.  Saturday nights were always pizza and a movie.  Dorothy was an avid reader, especially mystery novels.  Dorothy had a sharp wit and always had an appropriate comment on the current political situation.  She loved thoroughbred horse racing and on the day of any Triple Crown race, all activity in the house stopped while Dorothy watched the coverage of the race for the day. 

She moved to skilled nursing care in August 2016.  After putting up a valiant fight with Parkinson’s disease for over 20 years, Dorothy passed away on March 11, 2019 at the Tuff Memorial Home in Hills, MN.

Those left to cherish her memory are her husband Jim and son David of Luverne, MN, her sister Anne Norman of Grand Junction, CO; her sister-in-laws Janice Schleiden of Yucaipa, CA, Shirley Klosterbuer of Luverne, MN; Mary Klosterbuer of Windom, MN; and brother-in-law Don (Lona) Klosterbuer of Luverne, MN; cousin Gaynell Lapinski of Ocalla, FL  and many nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents Charles and Alice Schleiden, brothers Robert and Charles Schleiden, brother-in-law Harry Norman and sister-in-law Marlene Schleiden.

Dingmann Funeral Home, Luverne, MN is in charge of arrangements.  No services are planned.  Memorials preferred to Luverne Special Olympics and the American Parkinson’s Association.

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