Ethel Luella Doty

Funeral services for Ethel L. Doty, age 89, of Eden Prairie and formerly of Albert Lea will be held at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, September 9, 2015 at Grace Lutheran Church. The Rev. Janet White will officiate. Interment will be in Hillcrest Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.

Ethel Luella (Haugen) Doty peacefully passed away Friday September 4th, two weeks shy of her 90th Birthday.  She was born on September 19, 1925, on a farm 4 miles southeast of Rake, Iowa, to Nels Haugen and Hannah Lee, who both emigrated from Norway, met and married in 1906.

Ethel was the youngest of nine children; Sara, Gudrun, Inga, Ida, Tryg, Amil, Norman & Delmer all who have preceded her in death. She was confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church on October 22, 1939.  She graduated from Rake High School May 20, 1943 and from Mankato Commercial College in 1945.  Afterwards she was employed at the Wilson Employment Office and with American Gas Company in Albert Lea in the business office for 4 years.  She married James Walter Doty on June 18th, 1949 in Rake, Iowa.  The first couple of years of marriage they lived in several places before settling in Albert Lea in July 1953.  Shortly after that they became members of Grace Lutheran Church and continued as active members throughout their lives.

They had three children, Keith, Jody and Lorie.  Her life was dedicated to supporting her husband and raising their family.  After her children were grown she enjoyed working part time in the lunch room at the junior high school.  She and Jim were married 60 years and spent their later years traveling and spending time with family until Jim died in September 2009.  Ethel lived the rest of her life in Eden Prairie near family and resided at Brookdale Eden Prairie Care Facility.

Survivors include her children Keith (Patricia Tovo) Doty, Jody (Joyce) Doty, and Lorie (Bruce) Senske; grandchildren Stephanie Doty, Ellen Tovo-Dwyer, Jace (Cathy) Senske, Trent (Laura) Senske, and Molly Senske; great grandchildren Kason (Doty) Bjorgum and Audrey Senske; sisters-in-law Ida Haugen and Elinor Doty, Grace Haukoos and Marilyn Haukoos, and Phyllis McIntyre; brother-in-law Leland Doty and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and special friends.

Ethel was preceded in death by her parents, her granddaughter Allison Tovo-Dwyer, brothers and sisters and their spouses.