Rudolph Doty

Rudolph E. "Dutch" Doty, age 98, of Spicer, died Friday morning, November 24, at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, November 28, at Faith Lutheran Church in Spicer with Rev. Matthew Peterson and Rev. Simon Fensom officiating. Interment will be in the Spicer City Cemetery. Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. Monday at the Green Lake Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church.
Rudolph Esia "Dutch" Doty was born July 17, 1908, in Spicer, the son of Claude and Lilly Mae (Jacobson) Doty. He grew up and received his education in the Spicer community. As a young man, he drove truck for his father and worked at Norman Christianson's service station and for the Great Northern Railroad. On August 28, 1937, he married Lillian Engwall at the Little Brown Church in Iowa. They made their home in Minneapolis, where Dutch worked as a foreman for the McQuay Corporation. In 1946, they moved to Spicer. Dutch then worked in construction and for Great Northern Ice Works. He also built his father's Texaco station, which he later owned and operated from the early 1950s until 1970. Dutch and Lillian also owned and operated a bus service for the New London-Spicer schools from 1960 to 1973. Dutch was a member of the Spicer Fire Department for over 20 years and also worked as a cop at the Pavillion. He was a charter member of the Spicer Lions Club, serving as president and treasurer, treasurer of the Spicer Sportsmen's Club and a member of the Investment Club. He was a member of Sharon Lutheran Church and later Faith Lutheran Church, where he served as an usher. Dutch and Lillian wintered in Texas for several years. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, golfing and building and fixing.
He is survived by his wife, Lillian of Spicer; four sons, James (and Patricia) Doty, Peter "Bill" (and Diane) Doty, Paul (and Sue) Doty and Gideon Doty, all of Spicer; a daughter, Susan (and James) Ahrenholz of Prinsburg; fifteen grandchildren and twenty-four great-grandchildren. Also surviving are a sister, Maralee Weisgerber of Spicer; a sister-in-law, Anita Doty of Spicer and other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Wallace and Clarence; four sisters, Frances, Eleanor, Roma and Hazel and a grandson, Todd Ahrenholz.