BIG LAKE, MN

Dorothy Hinrichs, 94, passed peacefully on November 3, 2020.

Mom and Dad are finally back together again, he’s been waiting for her. Even though our hearts are broken, Mom has left us with a lifetime of love and adventures. She was many things—beautiful, gentle, caring, silly, sassy, but most of all, she was bursting with love. 94 years of life and love is a great run. We should all be so lucky. Dorothy, you were one heck of a woman!

Although Dorothy was born in Minneapolis, she loved to claim Schoolcraft Lake in Lake George, MN as her home. “Schoolcraft Lake is really the start of the Mississippi River, because Schoolcraft Lake drains into Lake Itasca.” When Dorothy was a senior in high
school, she and a friend decided that they should go to school in Minneapolis. So Dorothy, her parents Henry and Annie Anderson (who were her aunt and uncle), and friend Avis moved to the Holland Hotel in downtown Minneapolis so the girls could graduate from Central High School. In the meantime, Dorothy and Calvin Hinrichs, a boy from her LaPorte High School, exchanged letters while he was serving our country in WWII. After Calvin came home from the war, he proposed to Dorothy on the shores of Lake Bemidji and they were married in LaPorte, MN. After Calvin finished college at Bemidji State, he was offered a job as an industrial arts teacher and they moved to Big Lake, MN in 1951. Dorothy’s
parents also moved to Big Lake and started a restaurant, where Dorothy worked as a waitress.

Throughout the years, Dorothy was active in the Big Lake American Legion Auxiliary, Study Club, Card Club and Saron Lutheran Church. She loved socializing with friends, taking care
of her family and going to the casino. One summer Calvin took her to every casino in Minnesota for their anniversary. Dorothy worked at Federal Cartridge in Anoka and enjoyed lunches with the 20 year club of retirees.

Dorothy was such a kind, caring lady who loved her family most of all. She loved the loud laughter and chaos when they all gathered at her house. She loved holding the babies. She
loved feeding everyone who came to her house. "Well, let's see... what do we have to eat around here." Her chicken and dumplings, pancakes, krumkake, donuts, and lefse will always be the best. She was proud of her 4 children: Richard Hinrichs (wife Susan), Gayle Berthiaume (husband Ron), JoAnn Zimmel (husband Richard), Jana Harrer (husband Robert), 9 grandchildren: Jennifer DeMers (Randy), Paul Hinrichs (Sara), Jaime Mayer, Lora Berthiaume, Callie Hargett (Grant), Stephanie Timmins (Brandon), Anthony Zimmel, Elisa Harrer and Sam Harrer, and 15 great-grandkids. She always said how smart and
beautiful they all were. We keep shifting from “Damn you COVID” to “My God, we were lucky.” We are at peace knowing she’s beside Calvin and her most adored friends and relatives. Love you and miss you already, Mom.

In these times, we may not have a funeral, but are comforted knowing that her friends
and family will continue to send us virtual hugs, prayers and memories. We
would love to hear your stories. Thank you.

Dorothy’s family

Peterson-Grimsmo Chapel  763-295-2918  www.peterson-grimsmochapel.com