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Dorothy Jean Baldwin Kratochvil

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Birth	:	10 Jul 1924 Westfield, Plymouth County, Iowa, USA
Death	:	30 Sep 2020 Brookings, Brookings County, South Dakota, USA
Burial	:	Greenwood Cemetery, Brookings, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate	:	44.2966995, -96.8163986
Plot	:	Block 4 First addition, Lot 22A, Grave 1
Description	:	Dorothy Jean (Baldwin) Kratochvil, 96, passed from this world on Wednesday, September 30th, at Edgewood Vista Assisted Living in Brookings, surrounded by her family. The family would like to thank the staff at Edgewood for their years of extraordinary, loving care for “Big Red”. Memorial Services will be held at a later date. Rude’s Funeral Home is assisting the family with the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Donald and Dorothy Kratochvil Scholarship at SDSU (c/o the SDSU Foundation) or to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Brookings. ... Read More	Dorothy Jean (Baldwin) Kratochvil, 96, passed from this world on Wednesday, September 30th, at Edgewood Vista Assisted Living in Brookings, surrounded by her family. The family would like to thank the staff at Edgewood for their years of extraordinary, loving care for “Big Red”. Memorial Services will be held at a later date. Rude’s Funeral Home is assisting the family with the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Donald and Dorothy Kratochvil Scholarship at SDSU (c/o the SDSU Foundation) or to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Brookings. Dorothy was known for her red hair, smiling eyes, joyous laugh…and her distinctive sneeze that could silence a crowd at any event and often did. She was born on July 10, 1924 in Plymouth County, Iowa, to Edith (Ceilley) and John Baldwin. Her father died when Dorothy was 4 years old and she and her infant sister, Judy, lived with their maternal aunt while their mother returned to college and obtained a teaching certificate. Dorothy graduated from Akron High School in 1941; while in high school, she met her future husband, Don Kratochvil, when competing in a 4-H meat judging competition. She trounced him and went on to compete in the next round in Chicago. Despite the crushing defeat, Don continued to romance Dorothy. Her heart stayed with Don, and at Dorothy’s insistence, they married on October 28, 1944, just days before his WWII deployment to Europe. As members of the Greatest Generation, Dorothy sacrificed at home while Don served abroad. After the war, each obtained a bachelor’s degree at South Dakota State College in Brookings: she in home economics, he in agronomy. They moved to Fargo and Lincoln as Don pursued his advanced degrees, but returned to Brookings to raise their family: sons Lee, Mark, and Paul, and daughter Ann. Dorothy was a master of tending skinned knees and bruised psyches. She also plied her kids with puffed wheat and powdered milk before sending them off to school (uphill both ways in a blinding snowstorm) – although the less said about that chapter, the better. Education was always a priority to Don and Dorothy and they took great pride in assisting their children in obtaining college degrees at SDSU. At Dorothy’s house, food was always a celebration, and there was always room for one more at the table. Sunday night picnics in front of the fireplace were a favorite event for the family and included roasting marshmallows and hotdogs from Midway Grocery, and watching The Wonderful World of Disney and Bonanza in the sunroom. Her children and grandchildren fondly remember bountiful holiday dinners around her many tables - dinners that often included extended family, friends, and friends of friends, who were sometimes unanticipated but joyfully welcomed. All were accepted regardless of race, color or credo. While her radio rolls, quick chocolate cake and broiled coconut frosting were fan favorites, the chili with celery had a less devoted following. Dorothy spent her life helping people, whether it was comforting a bullied child or, later, visiting loved ones in nursing homes and commiserating with a granddaughter whose husband was deployed. Along the way, she was active in service to her community including serving as the first female lay reader and a member of the vestry at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, volunteering for the Brookings Hospital Auxiliary, delivering Meals on Wheels, serving as a docent at the South Dakota Art Museum, and acting as a Guardian for the Brookings Bethel of Job’s Daughters. She was a member of the League of Women Voters, Eastern Star, PEO, Coteau Questers, and the Brookings Woman’s Club. She also served on the Brookings Planning Commission and the Board of Adjustment. Finally, she and Don were long-term members of the Bookings County Democrats, and frequently hosted Election Night parties at their home. As South Dakota is a “red” state, said parties were often not the most joyous of occasions. Nevertheless, they persisted. Her many hobbies included playing bridge, ballroom dancing, keeping African violets alive, refinishing furniture, collecting antiques, and reading. She and Don instilled a lifelong love of camping in their children, and family camping expeditions took them from coast to coast. She and Don later acquired an RV and traveled to Florida every winter beginning in the 1970s. Each grandchild was treated to magical memories of Disney World complements of their grandparents. Dorothy and Don eventually purchased a second home in Florida, but not before taking the RV on the Yukon Highway to Alaska. In addition, and especially in later decades, the entire family cherished their times together at their cabins in the Black Hills. Dorothy has left her family with a lifetime of memories. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren fondly remember sleeping over [in a slightly cold] room at their grandparents’ house, sliding down the best banister in Brookings, and playing dominos. She also left her family with a few traditions (or perhaps trials by fire), mostly related to weddings. For example, when Ann brought her future fiancé to meet her parents for the first time, they made him sleep in the RV despite the ample bedrooms in the house (her brothers joke Dorothy did so because he was a USD grad). In addition, brides and grooms across multiple generations left the church door for a “shivaree” ride around town on over-the-top conveyances including a 1953 truck, a sled, a firetruck, two boats, a little red wagon, a hillbilly pickup and a manure spreader. Dorothy leaves a wealth of survivors to cherish her memory: four children: Lee Kratochvil of Brookings, SD; Mark (Patty) Kratochvil of Brookings, SD; Paul (Doris) Kratochvil of Pueblo, CO; and Ann (Mike) Holzhauser of Pierre, SD; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild, and a special cousin and “sister”, Margaret (Scott) Kooiman. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her step-father, Rollo Baker, her sister, Judy, her step-siblings, Jack, Slade and Barbara, and her special cousin and “sister”, Alice (Scott) Jolink. - Rudes Funeral Home∼Father: John F. Baldwin Mother: Edith M. Ceilley Mother of 4 children

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Dorothy Jean Baldwin Kratochvil's memorial?
Dorothy Jean Baldwin Kratochvil's memorial is located at: Greenwood Cemetery, Brookings, Brookings County, USA.
When did Dorothy Jean Baldwin Kratochvil death?
Dorothy Jean Baldwin Kratochvil death on 30 Sep 2020 in Brookings, Brookings County, South Dakota, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Dorothy Jean Baldwin Kratochvil's memorial?
Latitude: 44.2966995
Longitude: -96.8163986

Family Members:

Parent

John Fay “Jack” Baldwin

(1899 - 1928)

Edith M. Ceilley Baker

(1898 - 1988)

Spouse

Donald Elmer Kratochvil

(1923 - 2005)

Siblings

Julia Fay Baldwin

(1929 - 1951)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Greenwood Cemetery
Brookings, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.2966995, -96.8163986

2. Saint Thomas More Catholic Cemetery
Brookings, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.2970500, -96.8151500

3. First Lutheran Cemetery
Brookings, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.2979590, -96.8247740

4. Prairie Cemetery
Brookings, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.2828616, -96.7981652

5. Kirby Cemetery
Volga, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.3120300, -96.8883000

6. Scandinavian Lutheran Cemetery
Brookings, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.3486860, -96.8485590

7. First Lutheran Cemetery
Volga, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.3139000, -96.9289017

8. East Lake Campbell Cemetery
Medary, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.2171100, -96.8664600

9. Bergh Cemetery
Sinai, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.2681007, -96.9360962

10. Sterling Lutheran Cemetery
Volga, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.3842900, -96.8540700

11. Trinity Cemetery
Volga, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.3264008, -96.9421997

12. Lake Campbell Cemetery
Volga, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.2109300, -96.8850400

13. Hillside Cemetery
Volga, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.3342018, -96.9443970

14. Saint Wiliams Catholic Cemetery
Aurora, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.2833460, -96.6681920

15. Fairlawn Cemetery
Aurora, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.2831001, -96.6678009

16. Oslo Lutheran Cemetery
Volga, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.2246700, -96.9284300

17. Deer Creek Cemetery
Bruce, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.4136009, -96.8685989

18. Fountain Cemetery
Bushnell, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.3657990, -96.6667023

19. Yeo Cemetery
Flandreau, Moody County, USA
Coordinate: 44.1815900, -96.6929400

20. Bruce Cemetery
Bruce, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.4371986, -96.8839035

21. South Lake Campbell Cemetery
Nunda, Lake County, USA
Coordinate: 44.1672600, -96.9182300

22. Elmwood Cemetery
Bruce, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.4372000, -96.8866000

23. Midway Lutheran Church Cemetery
Flandreau, Moody County, USA
Coordinate: 44.1388550, -96.7785645

24. Sterling Methodist Cemetery
Brookings, Brookings County, USA
Coordinate: 44.4560000, -96.7863600