Dorothy Marie (Soderberg) Callies

Dorothy Marie Callies, 91, of Howard died Sunday, April 22, 2018, at Madison Regional Health Center in Madison SD.  

Funeral services will be 2pm, Thursday, April 26, 2018 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Howard, with burial to follow in the church cemetery. Visitation will begin Wednesday at noon with the family present to greet friends begin at 5pm, with a Prayer service to be said 7pm, all at the  Willoughby Funeral Home, Howard.

Dorothy Marie Soderberg was born June 18, 1926, to Oscar and Lena (Rigg) Soderberg north of Howard, SD.  It was as a girl that Dorothy learned to share her work and all she had with others with a happy and giving heart. She was baptized and confirmed at Belleview Lutheran Church.  She attended country school.  After graduating from Howard High School in 1944 she worked at Quinn-Taschner Department Store and in the Miner County Clerk of Courts Office. 

On March 20, 1948, she married the love of her life, Eugene John Callies, at Pipestone MN.   Together they farmed southeast of Howard for over 65 years. In 2011 they moved to Whispering Winds Assisted Living in Howard.

Gene once shared that Dorothy was the ‘best business decision he ever made’ which spoke to his confidence in her business and management abilities and to her critical part in growing their farm and family.  She lived and worked every day as an integral part of what was going on at the farm. Dorothy presided over many important and impactful conferences held around her kitchen table.  In the case of a tie she cast the deciding vote and it was done.

Dorothy was known for her cooking and baking talents – sharing these with visitors both planned for and those that just happened to be at the farm that day.

Dorothy had an exceptional ability to make a person feel special.  Walk into her house or room and you felt as though she had been waiting for you to do just that all day long.  She looked for and found hidden talents in others.  She was a truly grateful person appreciating and always remembering any gift that came from the heart. 

She shared her work ethic with her sons, her grandchildren and her great grandchildren. She demonstrated her sense of fun and style.  She worked to have them understand that life doesn’t just hand it to you but you have been given talent and the world needs you for that reason.  And then she celebrated every good thing and every accomplishment with joy and deep pride in her family.

The family received the Farm Family of the Year Award from the Howard Service Club in 1988.  Dorothy was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church and St. John's Ladies Aid for most of her life. 

Grateful for having shared her life are her sons Gregory (Kathy) Callies of Winfred, Jeffrey Callies of Howard, and Daniel (Cindy) Callies of Howard; her grandchildren Wendy Miller (special friend Greg Kroupa), Ryan (Sara) Miller, Sarah (Jared) Feldhaus, David (Ashley) Callies, Rhonda (Cody) Hoyer, and Barry (Dannica) Callies; her great-grandchildren Mitchell Shoenrock, Mason Shoenrock, Cody Eich, Jenna Eich, Lane Miller, Tate Miller, Gabe Miller, John Callies, Lucas Feldhaus, Trevor Callies,

Eli Callies, Taiden Hoyer, Tana Hoyer, Tyce Hoyer, Kase Callies, and Nash Callies; her in-laws LeAnn and Jim Kvernes and Sharon and Verlin McCarthy; her brother-in-law Ron Becker; her nieces and nephews and her many friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband Eugene in 2015, her parents, her brothers Palmer, Victor, and Vern, her sisters Hazel and Bernice, and great-grandson Colton Shoenrock.

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