Dorothy Kurle

Dorothy Kurle, 88, Bismarck, died Nov. 27, 2004, in a Bismarck care center. Services will be held at 10:00 AM. Saturday, Dec. 4, at McCabe United Methodist Church, Bismarck, with the Rev. Rick Fossum officiating. Interment will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens, Bismarck. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 6:30 PM Friday at Eastgate Funeral Service, Bismarck. Dorothy Olive Swenson was born January 3, 1916 in rural Halliday, ND to Joseph Carl and Inga Swenson, Scandinavian immigrants who were among the earliest homesteaders in Dunn County. She attended grade school and junior high school in a one-room rural school and high school in Halliday, where she graduated in 1935. She graduated from the Bismarck Hospital School of Nursing as a Registered Nurse in 1939. She then took specialty training in obstetrics at the Chicago Lying-In Hospital and began her nursing career in Red Lake, Minnesota. Dorothy married Edward Kurle of New Leipzig, North Dakota on June 13, 1943 in Washington, D.C. In 1944 she and Edward moved to Utah where they lived for a brief time at the Tooele Army Depot. In 1945 they moved to Salt Lake City where they made their home until 1952 when they moved to Lewiston, Idaho. In 1953 they returned to North Dakota, lived briefly in Carson and then returned to Bismarck where they made their home for almost fifty years. Dorothy devoted her life to her profession, her Christian faith, and her family. She served as a nurse in hospitals, in Washington, D.C., Salt Lake City, Utah, Lewiston, Idaho, and Bismarck, ND. Her specialty was obstetrics. She served in the Obstetrics Department of the Bismarck Hospital as a nurse, nursing supervisor, and nursing instructor for more than thirty years. As a teacher, she took pride in the careers and successes of her nursing students "who always passed their state exams". However, it was as a delivery room nurse that she found her greatest professional and personal satisfaction. Dorothy took real joy and delight in delivering one, two, or even three generations in many Bismarck families. Many of the mothers whose babies she helped deliver remained in contact with her throughout her life. She was always pleased to hear or read about the achievements of "one of her babies" as they attended school, went on to careers, or started families of their own. Dorothy's nursing service was an expression of her deep Christian faith. She became a member of McCabe United Methodist Church in 1954 and remained a dedicated member of the church throughout her life. She participated in Circles, on Church Committees, and in the outreach and missionary work of the church. Through the church she helped numerous families including Kurdish and Bosnian refugees. She was deeply committed to the expression of her beliefs through her actions and she passed that belief on to her children. Dorothy expressed her love of family in countless ways. She cared for her sons through the childhood calamities of flu and chickenpox and the serious consequences of polio and asthma. She was an ardent supporter of their athletic careers and supported them by cheering at every event and washing innumerable loads of workout clothes. She had a deep respect for education and passed it on to her sons. Later, as they pursued careers in the ministry and science, she continued her encouragement, counsel, and support. She was equally proud of her grandchildren and their academic accomplishments. Dorothy is survived by her two sons and daughters-in-law, James and his wife, Barbara of St. Paul, MN, and Robert and his wife, Lita of Orlando, FL; her grandchildren, Christine John Caldwell, Phoenix, AZ, Robby Kurle and Sarah Kurle, both of Orlando, FL. She is also survived by her brothers Alton, Charles, and Robert, and her sisters, Margaret and Ruth. Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Edward, her mother, Inga, her father, Joseph Carl, and two sisters, Marian and Elsie. The family would like to extend their appreciation to the caregivers of St. Vincent's Care Center and to those neighbors and friends who cared for and looked after Dorothy when Edward passed away. The family gives special thanks to Thelma Noehre who cared for Dorothy as a professional but looked after her as a devoted friend. Thelma's help was indispensable when Dorothy could no longer care for herself. In lieu of flowers, Dorothy's family prefers memorials to the McCabe Methodist Church or MedCenter One School of Nursing.

Dorothy Kurle

January 3, 1916 - November 27, 2004