Dorothy Folkerts

Dorothy Folkerts, 96, of Minonk passed away at 12:06 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at Heritage Health in Minonk.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 25th at St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Minonk with Pastor Jay Hurd officiating. Visitation will be one hour before the service from 10:00 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the church. Burial will be in Minonk Township Cemetery. Memorials may be made to St. Paul's United Church of Christ, the Filger Library, the Minonk Ambulance Service, or a charity of the donor's choice.

Ruestman-Harris Funeral Home in Minonk is in charge of assisting the family with arrangements.

Dorothy is survived by her son, Brian (Yvonne) Folkerts of Alexandria, Virginia, two grandchildren, Kristen Folkerts and Eric Folkerts, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband, Eldon, her parents, and sister Helen Mays.

Dorothy was born on her family’s farm east of Minonk on July 17, 1926 to George and Margaretha Jury, and attended a one room school house before graduating from Minonk High School in 1944. She graduated from Illinois State Normal University in 1948 with a degree in Home Economics Education, and taught high school home economics at Earlville and Normal Community before returning to Minonk to teach in 1952.

Dorothy married Eldon Folkerts on August 23, 1954 at Minonk Presbyterian Church, and resided on their farm near Rutland until retiring to Minonk in 1991. They celebrated 65 years of marriage in 2019. She was a member of the Minonk Presbyterian Church for more than 70 years before transferring to St. Paul's United Church of Christ. She was active in Marshall County's Homemakers Extension and Historical Society. She enjoyed socializing with friends, visiting extended family, exploring cemeteries and conducting research on family genealogy and local history, and judging food competitions at local fairs. She made excellent fruit pies, and was a devoted fan of the Chicago Cubs.

Dorothy will be dearly missed by her surviving family. Her family thanks the team at Heritage Health Minonk for the compassionate care they provided over the last several years.

Condolences and tributes can be sent to family at www.ruestmanharrisfuneralhome.com