Dorothy Niswonger

Dorothy Pedersen Niswonger, 85, of Hackensack, died on May 28, 2018, at Edgewood Assisted Living in Brainerd. Born May 22, 1933 in Milbank, South Dakota, the daughter of the late Theodor Pedersen and Mae Hendricks Pedersen.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Deane C. Niswonger; her brother, Theodor (Pete) Pedersen; her sisters, Katheryn Underhill, and Mary Pence. Dorothy is survived by her nieces and nephews, Lavern and Jim Underhill, Patty Underhill Wagner, Marilyn Pence Caton, Barbara Pence Cleveland, Terrie Pedersen Christian, Stephen Pedersen, Paul Pedersen, their spouses and many great nieces and nephews.

Dorothy’s family moved to Whipholt, Minnesota from South Dakota when she was a child, where lived until she and a girlfriend in their teens moved to Austin, MN, where she graduated from High School. After high school she went to Illinois to Trinity Methodist College. After she graduated she moved to Chicago, where she met, married, and lived for several years. The couple then moved to Chickamauga, Georgia, and she worked in Chattanooga, Tennessee as a legal secretary for a large law firm. She later operated her own secretarial business for several years. The couple moved to Hackensack where they built a home on the lake to settle permanently. She worked in Walker as a legal secretary before retiring to do medical transcription from her home.

Dorothy and her husband were always active in church and missions wherever they lived. She taught Sunday School, played the piano, sang in the choirs and was active in mission work. Dorothy and her husband were members of the Lighthouse Evangelical Church in Hackensack. They were founding members of the church.

The funeral will be 1 PM on Monday, June 4, 2018 at the Lighthouse Evangelical Free Church in Hackensack. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery, Longville. Memorials in Dorothy’s name may be made to Lighthouse Evangelical Free Church. Arrangements are with Kline Funeral Home, Pine River.