Dorothy Bierschenk

Dorothy Bierschenk age 83 of Nashua, IA, died Monday, April 18, at UnityPoint Health – Allen Hospital in Waterloo, IA surrounded by her family. Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 25, 2022, at St. John’s United Church of Christ - Pleasant Hill, rural Nashua with Rev. Drew McHolm officiating. For those unable to attend in person please join the family Live. To join the Live Stream please register here https://foveo.stream/hugeback-johnson/dorothy-bierschenk Live Webcast Interment will be held at St. John’s United Church of Christ – Pleasant Hill Church Cemetery with Levi DeVries, Luke DeVries, Logan DeVries, David Hockinson, Ben Bierschenk, Sam Abraham, Caleb Urban serving as pallbearers. The honorary pallbearer is Reece Buttjer. Friends may greet the family from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. Sunday, April 24, 2022, at Hugeback Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory – Olson Chapel in Nashua. Visitation continues an hour prior to the service at the church on Monday. Dorothy’s adventurous life began on January 7, 1939, when she was born to Albert and Bueta (Hamor) Sweazey in Austin, Minnesota, and she grew up on a small wooded farm acreage near the small southern Minnesota town of Blooming Prairie. From an early age, she was very musically inclined. She learned to play the accordion at the age of 8, and by the age of 15, she was giving lessons on the instrument. She also played the accordion with a band that played for a half-hour polka television show. Dorothy received her education first at a country school before attending Blooming Prairie High School, the home of the Blossoms, and she was a member of the school’s Class of 1957. She also worked at a music store just south of Austin. Her life forever changed one night when she was set up on a blind, double date with a handsome Iowa lad named Roy Bierschenk at the Turp Ballroom in Austin, Minnesota, and the magic began on that night. The Minnesota girl and Iowa boy made a great couple, and Roy would often drive from Nashua to Blooming Prairie to see Dorothy. One night, Roy told Dorothy that they would either have to get married or he’d have to buy a new car. The couple chose the former and on November 9, 1957, they exchanged vows at the Baptist Church in Austin, MN. Dorothy and Roy began their marriage on the Bierschenk family farm just west of Nashua. They would eventually welcome six children, who had a marvelous mother. They remember “Mom and her music,” her amazing cooking, her cookie baking lessons, her talent as a gardener, and, most of all, the love and care she gave them. She worked side by side with Roy on the farm. She helped with many of the chores during the planting and harvesting seasons. Dorothy also loved to pick rock and loved getting all her children out in the field with her. Of course, she drove the tractor and the kids did the rock picking. Dorothy was also an amazing storyteller. She told them in her innocent and naïve way… and then she’d hit you with a punchline that left you laughing so hard that you couldn’t help but cry. Throughout her life, she was a selfless servant – often taking her accordion to area nursing homes to entertain the residents. She was a member of the St. John’s Women’s Fellowship and the Nashua Women’s Club, and she enjoyed planting and tending to flowers at Nashua’s Cedar View Park. Dorothy and Roy were amazing dancers, golfed, and curled at the Nashua Town and Country Club, and loved to travel together – visiting places like Acapulco, the Bahamas, and Hawaii. And she had a sense of adventure, too. From visiting far-off places to riding her beloved roller-coasters, she always enjoyed making every experience fun. In 1998, Dorothy and Roy moved off the farm and built a new home a half-mile south of the home farm. This was truly a special place for Dorothy because it reminded her of her upbringing near acres of woods in Minnesota. They enjoyed many wonderful years together in semi-retirement. After Roy passed away in 2015, Dorothy remained in their home for a time, and although his death was difficult, she persevered and still brought her joy to many others. A few years ago, she moved to Cedar Falls to be closer to a special friend, Clair Coughlin. They shared many of the same interests and enjoyed their time together. This remarkable woman loved life and people, especially her family, one that grew to include numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and as hard as it is to bid her farewell from this life, Dorothy gave them so many wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. And they also know that today, she is once again dancing with Roy. Dorothy is survived by her children, Julie (Rick) DeVries of North Liberty, Nancy (Lee) Vaale of Oakland, MN, Brian (Ruth) Bierschenk of Nashua, Jayne (Bradley Brickzin) Abraham of North Liberty, and Rachel (Tom) Urban of Ankeny; one honorary son, Michael (Sherry) Buttjer of Plainfield; special friend, Clair Coughlin of Cedar Falls; 11 grandchildren; 3 step-grandchildren; 2 honorary grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; 15 step-great-grandchildren; and 1 sister Arletta Sweazey of Brownsdale, Minnesota. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Roy in 2015; and a son, Kent, in infancy.