Dorothy Orts, age 73, of Oriska, ND, died Saturday, November 14th at her residence under CHI Hospice Care and surrounded by family. A private family funeral mass will be celebrated on Monday, December 7th at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Oriska. Interment will immediately follow at St. Bernard’s Catholic Cemetery. A Celebration of Life is planned for the spring or summer of 2021, pending Covid19 conditions.
Dorothy Lina Holden, daughter of Palmer and Rozella (Schultz) Holden, was born on December 7, 1946 in Valley City, ND. Dorothy grew up in Sanborn and Oriska, attended school in Wimbledon and Oriska and graduated from Oriska High School in 1964. She was the first woman to be on the NDSU Livestock Judging Team and first woman to graduate from NDSU with an Animal Science degree. She went onto write for the Dakota Farmer where she met a handsome young extension agent on a story she was doing. On December 27, 1969, she married Jack Orts at St. Bernard’s in Oriska. The couple lived in various places including Rapid City and Groton, SD, Lyons, NE and Bisbee and Maddock, ND before they came to settle permanently on their Galloway cattle ranch north of Oriska. They actively worked with the ND Galloway Association for many years and our cattle saw many wins at Winter Show and other livestock events through the years. Dorothy also took a sales position with BioZyme Enterprises, St. Joseph, MO, where she traveled across North and South Dakota, Minnesota and into Montana. These successful sales calls not only yielded great business but lifelong friendships too numerous to count. She retired in 2017 after more than 30 years of selling VitaFerm products. After her retirement, Dorothy remained active at St. Bernard’s Church, working on many projects including a recent successful fundraising campaign and execution to restore and update the cemetery and to spend time with her children and grandchildren. She was also a very devout member of St. Bernard’s and always looked forward to attending and celebrating Mass.
Dorothy is survived by her husband, Jack Orts, Oriska, ND; four children, Erika (Charles) Bartunek, Fargo, ND, Robert (Marsha) Orts, Minot, ND, Alexa (Ross) Johnson, West Fargo, ND and Michael (Anna) Orts, St. Joseph, MN; her grandchildren, Gabriel, Grace and Noelle Bartunek, Fargo, ND, Raymond, Ronald, Ross, Ronin, Robin and Roxanne Johnson, West Fargo, ND and John and Aubrey Orts, St. Joseph, MN. She is survived by her brother, Palmer Holden, Iowa City, IA, sister Mary (Thomas) Olson, sister-in-law, Janice Witten, Floresville, TX, many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Dorothy was proceeded in death by her parents, Palmer and Rozella Holden, her in-laws, Robert and Pauline Orts, brother-in-law, Kenneth Witten, beloved aunts, uncles and cousins.