Dorothy Ruth Peabody

DOROTHY RUTH PEABODY December 11, 1945 – November 21, 2020 Dorothy Ruth Peabody, age 74, of Maplewood, MN, formerly of Park Rapids, MN peacefully passed into eternity on Saturday evening, November 21, 2020 at Regions Hospital in St. Paul. Dorothy was born in Park Rapids, MN to Carl and Mabel (James) Pape on December 11, 1945. She attended country school near her parent’s farm and went on to attend high school in Park Rapids from where she graduated with the Class of 1963. As a young woman, she ventured to St. Paul where she lived with a sister for a time. She later returned to Northern MN and gained employment working at the Wadena Air Force Base Post Office. There she met a handsome airman, Allen Ashbacher. They fell in love and were married in Japan in the mid-1960s. After his honorable discharge, he attended seminary and became a Lutheran minister. They made their home throughout Illinois, MN, Nebraska, and Texas where her husband was called to minister. In addition, their marriage was blessed with two children: Jamie and Jeremy. Dorothy devoted herself to making a loving home for her husband and children and assisting her husband in ministering in the churches they served. Dorothy worked for the State Farm Insurance Company in a career that spanned over 35 years. In 1990, she married Darryl Dickinson while living in Coon Rapids, MN. She continued in her work with State Farm and worked very hard climbing up the ranks to round out her career working in the human resources department until the time of her retirement. She was united in marriage to Larry Peabody on June 8, 2002 in Park Rapids. They lived in Maplewood, MN until moving to Lincoln, Nebraska in February 2004 where Dorothy had accepted a job promotion. They both loved to travel and made many road trip adventures together. She was preceded in death by Larry in February of 2005. Several years later, Dorothy returned to Maplewood where she has lived until the time of her death. She loved being a grandma and always enjoyed attending their school and sporting events. Dorothy also enjoyed working with her hands doing cross stitch and loved sewing many articles of clothing for her children when they were small. She loved her nieces and nephews with all her heart and thought of them as her own. She will be lovingly remembered by her daughter, Jamie and her husband, Mike Hildreth, and their three children: Christopher age 20, Alex age 13 and Lucy age 8 all of Stacey MN; her son, Jeremy Ashbacher of Blaine, MN; her brother, Russell (Ruth) Pape of McMinnville, Oregon; her three sisters: Margaret Reimer of Blandon, FL, Lorna (Rodney) Peterson of Foley, Alabama and Esther (William) Peabody of Alexandria, MN; as well as many dearly loved nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends. Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Larry in 2005 her sister, Maxine Fletcher, and her brother, James Pape, and a brother in infancy. Funeral services are set for 3 PM Saturday, November 28, 2020 at the Jones-Pearson Funeral Home in Park Rapids, MN. Visitation will begin at 2 PM. Interment will be made in the Greenwood Cemetery of Park Rapids, MN. To leave online condolences or to view the video tribute please visit www.jonespearson.com