Dorothy Reed, 80, died Thursday, July 5, 2007 at Northwest Medical Center, Thief River Falls, MN.


Memorial services will be held at 1:00 PM Saturday, July 7, 2007 at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, MN with Rev. Frank Ehling officiating.

Visitation will begin at 12:30 PM at the funeral home.

Dorothy Jean Swantek was born the sixth of ten children to Joseph and Caroline (Stavnick) Swantek. She was baptized and confirmed into the catholic faith and attended school at Sacred Heart Academy in New York.

Dorothy was united in marriage to Vernon Thorstad in New York in 1943 and following his honorable discharge, the couple moved to Thief River Falls, MN. In 1949 they were blessed with a beautiful daughter, Carol. Dorothy loved to be home and raise their daughter and be in the garden. In 1957 Dorothy and Carol moved to New York and Dorothy worked at Macys Department Store.

In 1960 she married Edwin Reed and the couple made their home in Thief River Falls, MN. Dorothy worked at JC Pennys Department Store and worked on the window displays. She later went to work for the Minnesota State Highway Patrol office and worked there until 1975.

Dorothy loved spending time with her family, her pride were her three new great grandsons. She also enjoyed spending time at the casino with her very special friends, reading, crossword puzzles, watching jeopardy, ice skating, had a great sense of humor and was a woman who loved life and her God.

Survivors include her daughter, Carol (Jim) Schmidt of West Fargo, ND; three granddaughters, Melanie Schmidt of West Fargo, ND, Angie (Jason) Messner of Argusville, ND and Julie (Glenn) Bietz of West Fargo, ND; and three great-grandsons, Ryan, Owen and Gavin; two sisters, Caroline Dickerman of South Carolina and Terri DAlessio of New York; and one brother, Robert Swantek of New York.

She is preceded in death by her parents; and six siblings, Ed, Joe, Josephine, George, Herman, and Billy.