Dorothy Lofgren

Our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and mother-in-law, Dorothy Dickson Lofgren, 91, returned to her heavenly home on August 26, 2018, after a brief illness.
She was born May 31, 1927, in Heber City, Utah, to LeRoy Slade Dickson and Anna Leona Mohr Dickson. Her family lived in Utah and eventually moved to Kalispell, Montana, where Dorothy attended Flathead County High School. As she would be for the rest of her life, Dorothy was very involved in music. She played the violin and was the concert mistress in the high school orchestra. She also once sang in a trio during a school assembly, and that was when her future sweetheart, Merlyn Lofgren, first saw her. This was the start of a lifelong romance. After Merlyn enlisted in the Navy during World War II, they kept in touch by writing each other beautiful love letters until he returned home.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English from Brigham Young University, she and Merlyn were married on September 12, 1949, in Portland, Oregon. They were sealed in the Logan, Utah, Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
After their marriage, Dorothy and Merlyn lived in Salt Lake City, where daughters Julie and Susan were born. In the fall of 1954, they moved to Missoula where Merlyn pursued his career in pharmacy and Dorothy was able to be a stay-at-home mom. Daughter Nancy and son Jonathan joined the family during this time.
Dorothy’s love of music filled her life. Over the years she taught many violin and piano students. She played the violin in the Missoula Symphony for 50 years and was one of its founding members under conductor Eugene Andrie. Daughters Susan (cello) and Nancy (violin) later joined her in playing in the symphony. Dorothy, Susan and Nancy formed a string trio, and over the years played for many events in the Missoula area. Dorothy was also the driving force behind the seventeen straight years that Handel’s Messiah was performed by their local church congregation as a gift to the Missoula community. Daughter Julie and son Jonathan are also accomplished musicians. All of Dorothy’s grandchildren and great grandchildren have learned or are learning to play musical instruments.
Dorothy was an elect lady and a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In church she played the organ, led many choirs, and helped people discover their ancestors through genealogy work. She and Merlyn also served faithfully as missionaries in Istanbul, Turkey, which was a highlight of their lives. After returning from Turkey, they became employment missionaries and helped many people in Missoula find work. Throughout her life, Dorothy was an example of service, optimism, virtue and faithfulness. She will forever be a light in our lives.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her father, mother, sisters; Kathleen and Joan, and brother LeRoy Slade, Jr., and a grandson, Christopher. She is survived by her husband Merlyn, Missoula; three daughters and their families: Julie (Darwin) Wolford, Rexburg, Idaho; Susan (Vaughn) Anderson, Missoula; Nancy (Steve) Kohler, Missoula; and son Jonathan (Colette) Lofgren, Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as 16 grandchildren and 41 great-grandchildren.