DELORES M. JOTEN
DELORES M. JOTEN
Delores M. Joten, 97, passed away peacefully early Tuesday morning, Sept. 26, 2023, while hospitalized at Gunderson Tri-County Hospital in Whitehall, WI.
Delores (Dodie) was born to Wilhelm and Edith (Nicols) Berg Aug. 21, 1926, and was baptized at Chimney Rock Lutheran Church, rural Strum, WI, and confirmed at First Lutheran in Blair, WI. The family later moved to the Taylor area where Delores was graduated from Taylor High School. (She was the last surviving member of the class of 1944). On Oct. 29, 1948, she married Merlin Joten. She and Merlin, along with their infant son, moved to their home in Taylor in the fall of 1953, and she lived there until moving to Grand Avenue Assisted Living in Blair, WI this past June.
Delores worked as a waitress and as an assistant for “Doc” E.J. Smith, Taylor’s dentist, for several years after high school. She was crowned “Fire Queen” of the Taylor Fall Festival on her 21st birthday in 1947 and also got engaged the same day! She is perhaps best known for her many years working as a teller for the Taylor branch of the Jackson County Bank. She and Merlin bowled in couples league in Black River Falls and volunteered together as leaders for Hi-League for the parish. She was very active in her church teaching Sunday School, singing in the choir, hosting and leading Ladies Aid and Circle meetings and also prepared worship bulletins for a time. Delores enjoyed making pinecone Christmas wreaths and was always sketching and doodling as she talked on the phone. She loved to bake, especially at Christmas time, avidly watched the Packers (the more snow on the field the better!), and if Steve Stricker was golfing on TV, she was watching! This gentle, sweet lady was greatly loved by family and friends alike and was known for her generosity, especially on Halloween. She loved guessing each child’s name and handing out LOTS of candy!
She is survived by her son, Ron (Sondra); her grandsons, Kyle (Renae) and Ryan (Jen); her great-grandchildren, Katie, Drew, and Reece Joten and Braden and Declan Steuck; her brother-in-law, John Joten; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Delores was preceded in death by her husband, Merlin; her parents; her in-laws, Edward and Alma Joten; siblings Wayne (Emily) Berg, Giles (Elaine) Berg, Wesley Berg, and Virginia (Clayton) Hanson; her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Auline (Mahlon) Dettinger, Helen (Winfred) Larson, Edwin (Anne) Joten, Lillian (Basil) Joten, Joyce Joten, Grace (Joten) Wagner, and Wayne Rogers.
The family would like to express their gratitude to everyone who has assisted Delores, particularly after Merlin’s passing in 2012: Daryl and Kathy Boe, Randy Joten, Taylor First Responders, Interfaith Ministries and many, many other family and friends from the community who helped along the way. Finally, special thanks go to Grand Avenue Assisted Living and the staff at Gunderson Tri-County Hospital for their loving care in her last days.
A celebration of her life will be held at Taylor Lutheran Church, Taylor, WI, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, at 11 a.m. Visitation will be held from 9-11 a.m., and she will be interred at Woodlawn Cemetery, rural Taylor, following the service.
The Jensen-Modjeski Funeral Home of Hixton, WI, is assisting the family with arrangements, 715-963-2311.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family for distribution to charities that were near and dear to her heart.
She got her wish to “go home to Jesus!”