Dorothy Mae (Schwerdfeger) Tanton, our mother, went to be with the Lord on Friday, June 12, 2009.

Dorothy was born in Paradise, KS, September 26, 1922 to George and Blanche (Stout) Schwerdfeger. She grew up in the Paradise, Waldo area and graduated from Paradise High School in 1941. She attended the Ellsworth School of Nursing graduating in 1945.

In 1947 Dorothy married Kenneth H. Tanton. To this marriage was born two daughters, Kathleen (Bledsoe) and Sandra (Aldrich) and a son, Brock A. Tanton.

Dorothy pursued her Nursing career in Fort Collins, CO, working at Poudre Valley Hospital and Colorado State University, retiring in 1987. She moved to Spearfish in 2007.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her ex-husband, Kenneth, parents, brothers, Roy and Keith, sisters, Mary Anne Sterling, Ruth Arthur, and Georgia Dumler.

Dorothy is survived by daughters, Kathleen and husband David Hansen, Lakebay, WA, and Sandra and husband Randy Aldrich, St. Onge, son, Brock Tanton, Loveland, CO, grandchildren; Chris Bledsoe, Nichole Arnold, Jason Aldrich, Jennifer Gamble, Clayton and Corey Tanton, great grandchildren, Riley and Savannah Gamble and Bethany Jutz, sister, Lillian McMartin and brother, Phillip Schwerdfeger, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Graveside services will be held at 11:00a.m. on Thursday, June 18, 2009 at Roselawn Cemetery, Fort Collins, CO. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations and condolences may be sent to: Sandra Aldrich, PO Box 151, St. Onge, SD 57779. Memorials will be given to the Russell County Library, Russell, KS, in memory of Dorothy, as she loved to read.

Local arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels & Crematory Service of Spearfish. Online condolences may be written at: www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com