January 26, 1930 - March 3, 2023
Dorothy Weishaar, age 93, of Algona passed away on March 3, 2023, at the Kossuth Regional Hospital in Algona. Mass of Christian Burial was 11 a.m. Thursday at the Divine Mercy Catholic Parish – St. Cecelia Catholic Church in Algona. Visitation was 4-6 p.m. Wednesday at Lentz Funeral Home in Algona.
Dorothy Lillian Weishaar (Rurup), affectionately referred to as Dottie by friends and her late husband Floyd, was born on Jan. 26, 1930, to Broder and Bessie Rurup. Raised in Colfax, North Dakota, Dorothy was one of 11 children in her family. At the early age of 16 she moved to Titonka to live with her sister Kathryn– already displaying the kind of fierce independence she’d come to be known for later in life.
While living with her sister, Dorothy waited tables in Algona at Grotty’s Café. It was there at the café one fateful spring day where she waited on a handsome young police officer by the name of Floyd Weishaar. The rest, as they say, is history.
After marriage, Dorothy and Floyd moved to Algona and went on to have three children; Gary, Rick and Sandi. Never content with an idle moment, Dorothy continued working throughout motherhood; co-managing a Texaco station with Floyd, flipping houses, and perhaps most notably– owning and operating Algona’s first taxi service. She spent her rare moments of downtime making her famous breads, cakes and potato salad for friends and family, getting her hands dirty gardening (Dorothy considered digging in the dirt her own personal type of therapy) and refinishing all types of furniture.
Dorothy Weishaar was famously two things– an incredibly stubborn woman and an uncommonly kind one. She worked hard, expected the best out of herself and rarely lost sight of what she wanted once it was in her focus. At the same time she felt a certain affinity with the downtrodden and often gave second chances to people no one else would. She had an incredible sense of humor right to her final days, and leaves her children and grandchildren better people having been in their lives.
She will be mourned by her children; Gary (Pat) Weishaar, Rick (Jean) Weishaar, and Sandi Schadendorf– all of Algona. Her legacy of stubbornness and kindness will be upheld by her six living grandchildren; Cory, Jamie, Krystal, Heather, Shauna and Shelbi; seven great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and an abundance of nieces, nephews and extended family. Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents; eight of her siblings; her grandchild, Travis Weishaar; her granddaughter-in-law, Jess Weishaar; her husband, Floyd Weishaar; and many of her closest friends.
Lentz Funeral Home of Algona is assisting the family. Condolences may be left at www.lentzfuneralhome.com.