Dorothy Theresa Kleffner
September 2, 1933 ~ April 14, 2017
Dorothy Theresa Kleffner, 83, of Westphalia, passed away Friday, April 14, 2017, at Westphalia Hills.
She was born on September 2, 1933, in Westphalia, Missouri, the daughter of the late Stephen and Johanna (Wilde) Berhorst.
She was united in marriage on January 12, 1952, in Westphalia, to Alfred August Kleffner who preceded her in death on December 17, 2012.
Dorothy spent her early years as a caring and loving homemaker. She then worked as an order clerk for Scholastic, Inc. for over 30 years.
She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Westphalia, St. Ann's Sodality, the Knights of Columbus Auxiliary, Western Catholic Union, Quilting Club and the Senior Citizens Club. For many years, she was a cook at the Westphalia Lions Club. Her greatest passions were her family, quilting and gardening. She loved spending time with everyone, especially all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Survivors include: thirteen children, Joyce (Terry) Boeckman, St. Martins; David (Mary) Kleffner, Jefferson City; Diane (Wayne) Mengwasser, Westphalia; Elaine (Dave) Palangpour, Columbia; Ron (Judy) Kleffner, Taos; Danny Kleffner, Westphalia; Janice (August) Boessen, Westphalia; Beverly Kleffner, California; Alan (Marlene) Kleffner, Rich Fountain; Annette Tomczak, Wardsville; Laurie (Don) Kleffner, Argyle; Doris Kleffner, Columbia; Valerie (Mark) Haller, Vienna; 29 grandchildren; 43 great-grandchildren, with 2 great-grandchildren on the way; a sister, Leona Morfeld, Westphalia; a brother-in-law, Donald Kleffner, Brazito; and two sisters-in-law, Henrietta Kleffner, Taos; and June Berhorst, Westphalia.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; a grandson, Lance Kleffner; four sisters, Loretta Berhorst, Regina Berhorst, Clara Massman and Agnes Schellman; and two brothers, Joe Berhorst and Stephen Berhorst.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 18th, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Westphalia, with the Rev. Mark S. Smith officiating.
Burial will be in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery.
Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Monday, April 17th at Dulle-Trimble Funeral Home in Westphalia, with a prayer service at 3:15 p.m.
Memorials are suggested to Hospice Compassus, Barnes Hospital, and Shriner's Children Hospital.
Dulle-Trimble Funeral Home in Westphalia is in charge of the arrangements.
Those wishing to email tributes or condolences to the family may do so at the www.dulletrimble.com website.
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My deepest sympathy to all of the family. What a beautiful person inside and out. I feel so fortunate to have known such a wonderful lady…God opened his doors and she walked in for sure.
I saw someone had posted, “Oh, God bless her.” And I thought to myself, ” God blessed us, with Dorothy”. She was an amazing woman. My deepest sympathy to all the kids, my friends. If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to get hold of me.
I never had an opportunity to meet Dorothy Kleffner. However, her picture depicts a warm and beautiful lady. One can normally form an reasonably accurate opinion of someone by the actions and behavior of their children. I have had the privilege of knowing only one of the children, MS Valerie Haller, for the past eight years. It is fairly obvious that Valerie is a reflection of the warmth and affection bestowed upon her by her mother. Her mother must have been an extraordinary person to raise thirteen children.