Dorothy Lu Fossum

Dorothy Lu (Redfield) Fossum, 95, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015, in Billings, Mont., where she has been residing with her daughter, Janet, for the last three years.

Services will be held Saturday, Nov. 28, at 2 p.m. at the Community Church in Opheim.

She was born on Aug. 28, 1920, in Glasgow, to homesteaders Frank L. and Mary Redfield. She was raised on the farm just south of Opheim, except for a brief time living in Glasgow while her father worked as a carpenter on the Fort Peck Dam. She graduated from Glasgow High School and attended Northern Montana College in Havre, receiving her teaching certificate. Her first teaching position was in Bainville.

She married Orrin J. Fossum on June 6, 1943, in Glasgow. She and Orrin raised six children and one foster son on the farm north of Richland. She continued teaching off and on while raising her family.

She was active in the Lutheran church, often playing the piano for Richland Lutheran. She also spent time volunteering as a 4-H leader and going to summer school, graduating with her bachelor's degree in teaching in 1972. She returned to full-time teaching after her kids were all school age, teaching at the North Bench Country School, Glentana and Opheim schools until retiring in 1980. After retiring, she became active in the Milk River Chapter of the DAR, the Mayflower Society, and playing her violin in the Prairie Symphonette in Scobey.

She donated much of her time and resources to charities and non-profit organizations, sewing quilts, making soaps, and collecting items to send overseas. She thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her many friends, children, grandchildren and large extended family.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Orrin; one brother, Buster Redfield; one foster son, Marvin Robinson; a brother and sister-in-law, Chet and Anna Fossum; daughters-in-law Bonnie and Sharron Fossum; a grandson, Jim Robinson; and a great-granddaughter.

Survivors include three sons, Andrew, Gerald and Robert Fossum and his wife, Mary; three daughters, Carole Zeitner and her husband, Mike, Janet Fossum and Sarah Thompson and her husband, Chuck; a sister-in-law, Sylvia Redfield; one foster daughter-in-law, Pat Robinson; 22 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, and nine great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nephews and nieces.

Bell Mortuary of Glasgow is in charge of arrangements.