Dorothy passed away peacefully in her sleep on October 4, 2016, at Brookdale, where she received excellent care. Her loving husband, Ray Hengstler, was by her side. She was 93. Dorothy was born on June 19, 1923 in rural Minnesota to Henry and Cecelia Hanson. She was raised on a farm with her brothers and sister. As a teenager, she moved to Minneapolis to study. Always adventurous, she moved to Seattle by herself at a young age. She worked as an executive assistant for Standard oil for many years, until she married and started a family.
Once her three children were raised, Dorothy again longed for the country life, so she and her husband, Clem Heath, bought a farmhouse outside of Eatonville and began their life as hobby farmers, raising animals and planting gardens. Soon many of their children and grandchildren followed. Dorothy always considered herself to be a Minnesota farm girl at heart.
Dorothy had many skills and interests. She was adept at the harmonica and organ, and she could often be found playing the organ and singing hymns. She was one of the earliest and most loyal members of the Tanwax Country Chapel. She participated in many community organizations, her favorites being gardening and design. Those who knew her well knew her love of the color purple.
Dorothy is survived by her husband, Ray Hengstler; her brothers, Herb and Don Hanson; her sister, Carolyn Sankey; her daughter, Anita Grochow; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She is pre-deceased by her son, Stephen Taylor; her daughter, Barbara Martin; and her prior husband, Clem Heath.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, October 12, at 1:00pm at the Tanwax Country Chapel in Eatonville. A burial service will be held on October 12 at 11:00am at Fir Lane Memorial Park Funeral Home in Spanaway.
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Dorothy Heath-Hengstler – “Mama Dot”
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