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Dorothy Anna (nee Rosenthal) Eden was born on April 2, 1922 and died of natural causes on July 2, 2016 at 94 years of age. She was the second youngest of ten children born to Frederick and Louisa (nee Fisher) of Sterling, Nebraska. Dorothy was preceded in death by a stillborn sister, brothers William (Bill), Fred (Fritz), Otto (Ott), and Ernie Rosenthal; sisters Minnie Bloom, Frieda Weber, and Louise Pearson. Her younger sister, Edna Sorenson, remains alive in Los Gatos, California. Dorothy was baptized at Sterling Grace Lutheran Church and graduated from Sterling High School. She married Alvin Gerald Eden on July 12, 1941. The couple spent their married life farming near Burr, Nebraska.
Dorothy was a strong, proud farmer’s wife from rural southeastern Nebraska who took the good times with the bad. Dorothy was a hard worker, not only did she do all the wifely duties on the farm but, to help make ends meet, she worked at various jobs outside the home, such as the chicken factory, hospital and bank.
Dorothy’s family was all-important to her. When she was pregnant with their first child, Alvin left her alone to fight the Nazis during WWII. Alvin returned home to a 9-month old son, Jack Alvin (b. Dec 30, 1944). On October 19, 1947 the couple’s first daughter, Billie Louise, was born. Later on December 23, 1962 Julie Ann was born.
Her children built families of their own: Jack married Robyn Carmichael of Omaha, Nebraska, Billie married Thomas Johnson currently in Edwardsville, Illinois, and Julie and Byron Menke of Pacific Junction, Iowa. Dorothy was blessed with 3 grandchildren, Andrew Eden (Kirstie), Devin Eden(Katie) and Kimberly Johnson, along with great-grandchildren: Andrew and Kirstie’s London and a boy to be born November 2016, and Devin and Katie’s Kadin and Riley.
When the couple retired to Cook, Alvin built Dorothy a new home which quickly became the gathering place for family and friends. The couple became an integral part of the Cook community. Dorothy worked on the committee that got Cook recognized as being one of the “Best Small Towns in America.” Involvement in TOPS, the American Legion Auxiliary and the church along with family, neighbors, and friends kept Dorothy very socially active in the Cook community.
Widowed at age 67, Dorothy remained in Cook where she continued with her activities and traveled with friends and family. At age 80, Dorothy a life-long resident of Nebraska, decided to sell her cook home and move to Glen Carbon, Illinois, Meridian Village, where she spent her final years near her daughter Billie, son-in-law Tom, and granddaughter Kim. During her 14 years at Meridian, she made many friends, took part in Village activities, with Wine Hour being her favorite, and watched her granddaughter grow. She enjoyed sharing her wisdom, listening to others and giving away gifts of her famous banana bread, but her greatest joy was writing in her journal and being published.
Dorothy left a legacy of strength, caring, humor and a no-nonsense get-on- with-it attitude toward life. Her favorite advice to her children was “get up, get around, you’ll feel better.”
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, July 6, 2016, 10:00 a.m. at Meridian Village Chapel in Glen Carbon. Memorials in Dorothy’s name may be sent to: Our Lord’s Lutheran Church, Maryville, IL; Meridian Village, Glen Carbon, IL; or Billie Johnson, 130 Wellesly Ct, Edwardsville, IL 62025.

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