Dorothy Harlan

Dorothy M. Harlan 94, of Lake City passed away May 3, 2009 at Lake City Nursing Home in Lake City, Minnesota.

Dorothy Margaret Murphy was born October 15, 1914 in Highland Township, Wabasha County, Minnesota to Martin and Marie (Gludt) Murphy. She attended District 98 through elementary grades and graduated from St. Felix High School in Wabasha, MN in 1932. Mrs. Harlan received her Bachelor of Science and masters of Science degrees from Winona State University. She did her student teaching in Homer School and Phelps Schools in Winona County.

After several years of teaching in various rural schools in Wabasha County, she continued her teaching career in the Lake City Public School system as a classroom teacher and Title 1 remedial teacher for 25 years. She retired from teaching in 1980 after 40 years of teaching.

Dorothy Murphy married Harold Harlan of Lake City June 15, 1942 in Immaculate Conception Church in Highland Township. After marriage, they made their home in Lake City where Mr. Harlan was an employee of Gillett and Eaton (now Federal Mogul) as machine operator and tool shop foreman. He died April 19, 1982.

Dorothy was an active member in many organizations, including St. Mary's Church and its Council of Women, St. Mary's Mission Society, Winona Council of Catholic Women, Lake City Food Shelf, Retired Educators Assoc. Of MN (REAM), Southeast Retired Education Assoc. of MN (SEREAM), a life member of both NEA and MN Educators, Upper Hiawatha Valley Retired Educators, Wabasha County Historical Society, Lake City Historical Society, Lake City Mayo Health Care Auxiliary, Dorothy Club of Wabasha, and Wabasha County Retired Rural Teachers. She has held positions in several of these groups.

Survivors include three daughters: Lorraine Kirby, Roswell, GA; Mary K. (Ray) Salatino, Hanover Park, IL; Ann (Mark) Nibbe, Lake City, MN; Son Charles (Merle) Harlan, Phoenix, AZ; Two sisters, Mildred Slawson, Rochester, MN; Marcella (Warren) Osborne, Coon Rapids, MN; Two brothers, Donald (Lorraine) Murphy, Conception, MN; Robert Murphy and friend Phyllis Brinde, Lake City, MN. She is also survived by eleven grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Besides her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by four sisters: Mary (Omer) Majerus, Albert Lea, MN; Eleanor Anne (Lenus) Rasmussen, Rochester, MN; Eileen (Maynard) Miller, Rochester, MN; Margaret Murphy, Coon Rapids, MN; two brothers, William Murphy, Rochester, MN and Gerald (Norma) Murphy, Phoenix, AZ

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, May 9, 2009 at 11:00 am at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lake City with Father Richard Dernek and Father James Russell co officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery in Lake City. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the Church. Mahn Family Funeral Home Anderson-Peterson Chapel Lake City. Memorials are preferred to St. Mary's Church Building Fund, Lake City Food Shelf, and the Lake City Historical Society.