Dorothy O. Kessler, 89, of Rapid City, SD, died Saturday, February 11, 2012, at Rapid City. Funeral service will be Friday, February 17, 2012, at 2:00 p.m. at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis, SD, with Pastor Nathan Ennis officiating. Burial will follow at Black Hills National Cemetery.

Dorothy was born Thursday, April 20, 1922, in Rapid City, SD, to Nestor and Bertha (Cosgrove) Erickson. She attended grade school in Rapid City and graduated high school in Deadwood, SD, with the class of 1941. Dorothy joined the United States Cadet Nurse Corp program in 1944 and received nurses training at Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls.

She married Lowell Kessler in 1946 in Billings, MT. Dorothy and Lowell raised three sons.

She worked as a nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital in Deadwood, Sturgis Community Hospital and for 25 years at Fort Meade V.A. Medical Center, retiring in 1985.

Dorothy was a member of several associations including Christian Women Club, Society of Black Hills Pioneers, VFW Auxiliary, National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE), Acteens, Red Hat Society and Golden Girls. She was the first Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in Meade County. Dorothy enjoyed chauffeuring family and friends.

She is survived by her husband of sixty-five years, Lowell; three sons, David Kessler of Piedmont, SD, Dan (Carol) Kessler of Piedmont, SD, and Randy (Janet) Kessler of Bremerton, WA; nine grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great-grandchild; a sister Verla Cisneros of Deadwood; and sister-in-law Betty Erickson of Redding, CA.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother N.A. Erickson, Jr., and brother-in-law, Luis Cisneros.

Click on link to view service folder