Dorothy A. Glasser, 87, of Clarks departed this earthly life on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, at Litzenberg Memorial Long Term Care in Central City.

Funeral services will be at noon on Saturday at the United Methodist Church in Clarks, with Pastors Dan and Nancy Spearow officiating. Burial will be in the Clarks Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time on Saturday at the church. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.soltwagnerfuneral.com. Memorials are suggested to the Clarks United Methodist Church and the Merrick County Historical Museum.

Every life has a story and every story has a beginning. Dorothy Ann Dahlin Glasser’s story began Dec. 6, 1931, when she was born to Hilding and Anna (Newman) Dahlin at the Lutheran Hospital in York. The hospital remained their home for weeks while her mother recovered sufficiently from complications, prior to returning to the farm near Polk that Dorothy would call “home” until her marriage.

Dorothy was baptized and began attending Sunday School at the Polk Methodist Episcopal Church at just 1½ years of age. Joining the Polk Church in April 1943, and later transferring to the Methodist Church at Clarks, she began a lifelong commitment as an active Church member. In 2018, she was honored to be recognized for 75 years of church membership.

Dorothy’s first eight years of elementary education were at Maple Grove, District 59, she had no clue that a second-grade classmate, who would move to Clarks mid-term, would 20 years later become her lifelong companion.

Following her childhood dream to become a teacher, Dorothy’s choice of normal training qualified her for a three-year teaching certificate upon graduation from Polk High School in 1949. Fortunate to be hired locally, Dorothy was able to remain at home and help her mother, who had never fully regained her health. During this time, she enrolled in Saturday and night classes toward renewal of her certificate. With sufficient credit, she graduated from Lutheran Jr. College (now Midland University) with an elementary degree in just one year.

In the fall of 1956, while teaching at the Osceola Public Schools, Dorothy received a phone call from that former Dist. 59 classmate; love blossomed and Ronald D. Glasser and Dorothy were married May 25, 1957, at Polk Methodist Church. They began their life together in Clarks and two daughters were born to their union. Debra Ann, born in June 1959, was called to her Heavenly Home just 19 months later. Ronda Jeanne was born in December 1962.

A few years later, Dorothy accepted teaching positions in rural Merrick County Schools while continuing graduate studies at Kearney State College (now UNK). She did substitute teaching after her 1978 resignation from full-time positions. The reward of working with children extended beyond the classroom for Dorothy, who spent 15 years as a 4-H leader and 45 years offering piano and organ lessons. She was proud that a number of her students would choose music as a career.

She combined the love of teaching and music to serve in a number of capacities at the Clarks Methodist Church, including junior choir director, vocal soloist, choir member, pianist and full-time organist for over 20 years. She taught Bible school and Sunday school and served as Sunday school superintendent. She further served her church as lay leader and for 16 years served as a district certified lay speaker. She served as longtime recording secretary to the administrative board.

Outside of church activities she enjoyed participation as a member of extension club, Extension Board, The Victorian Society and Research Club, and was a lifetime member of both NEA and NSEA-R and an honorary lifetime member of NARSP. She served the Crisis Board and local hospital auxiliary, volunteering at the Thrift Shop until she was no longer able.

A faithful member of the Order of the Eastern Star, she was Past Matron of Ivy Chapter 210 at Clarks and Arbor Chapter 200 at Central City, Grand Representative of Scotland in Nebraska and later Arkansas in Nebraska; Grand Warder and other capacities at Grand Chapter.

Stricken with rheumatoid arthritis in 1980 and faced with having to learn to walk again, faith was her central life force, giving her the drive to determine that this debilitation would not control her life. With the help of medication, travel became a dream she thought impossible. Dorothy and Ronald traveled extensively throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, Africa and Central America. Highlights of their travels include visiting the Swedish homeland of her ancestors, most notably the birthplace of her grandfather, and the six weeks spent traveling by rail from above the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean Sea.

Always having enjoyed producing musical programs and “hat shows” for church groups and senior groups, Dorothy enjoyed narrating Ronald’s photos as travelogues shared with many.

A significant portion of the history of Clarks has been preserved because of Dorothy’s work. From longtime CC R-N Clarks East social news correspondent to service with the Merrick County Historical Museum board during the planning of their new museum, her written compilations will be recorded for the generations to come. In recognition of all the good works of Dorothy and Ronald, they were named Persons of the Year in 2016 by the Republican Nonpareil.

Those left to cherish her memory are her husband of 61 years, Ronald D. Glasser of Clarks; her daughter, Ronda Glasser of Clarks; her grandchildren, Nicholas Glasser-Kerr and Sophia Glasser-Kerr, both of Clarks; and brother-in-law, Marvin (Elaine) Glasser of Kearney.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her daughter, Debra.

Source: https://www.theindependent.com/obituaries/dorothy-glasser/article_181e1400-0fb6-11e9-aaef-3baf25b04b48.html