Dorothy (Winter) Vreeland the daughter of George and Augusta (Laubhan) Winter was born May 19, 1929 on a farm near Rodman, Iowa. She died on Saturday, July 2, 2016 at North Iowa Hospice in Mason City, Iowa at the age of 87.

Dorothy was baptized at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Emmetsburg, Iowa. Dorothy grew up in a family where her mother and father were German immigrants who came to America in 1909. Her dad worked for the railroad the first ten years in Lincoln, Nebraska. The family moved to Rodman where they farmed. She received her education at Blue Bottom Country School northeast of Graettinger and then attended Graettinger High School.

Dorothy loved horses and spent many years riding and looking after the cattle in the pasture with her favorite horse and pony. She was always dedicated to her family and helping her mother. She learned to cook some special German dishes as her mother was always teaching her to make German foods. The family left Rodman and then moved east of Graettinger, where they farmed. In 1952, Dorothy married Loren Vreeland and moved to the farm west of Graettinger, where they milked cows and farmed their entire lives. She enjoyed the farm life where she was active in taking care of the animals, raising chickens, driving and operating tractors and any other aspects of the family farm.

When Dorothy and Loren could get a few days away she loved traveling to the western states and in particular her favorite areas were the Black Hills and Badlands of North and South Dakota. It was a thrill for her to see the mountains in Colorado and Montana.

Dorothy was a member of Bethel Lutheran Church in Graettinger. She was a beloved and devoted wife, mother and sister, who was always looking out for her family.

Her other interests included gardening, reading to keep up with current events in local and farm newspaper. She was always interested in reading and learning history of the old west. She enjoyed listening to old time country music with Loretta Lynn and Marty Robins being her favorite entertainers. The music of Lawrence Welk was also at the top of the list as he also was a German.

Left to cherish Dorothy's memory is her husband, Loren of Graettinger; daughter, Laura (Randy) Winter of Winnebago, Minnesota; siblings, Dolores Winter of Arlington, Virginia; Paul (Virginia) Winter of Crystal, Minnesota; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She has been preceded in death by her parents; siblings, Ottilia (Gordon) Pratt; Pauline Winter; Bertha Winter; Emma (Bernard) Platt; Selma (Del) Hayhurst; Wilhelmina (Jack) Estes; Ruth (Russell) Denmark; Robert (Leatha) Winter; Walter (Merrill) Winter and Ted (Isabelle) Winter.