Dorothy Carstens

Dorothy M. Carstens, age 91 of Melrose, passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 1, 2024 at the Cura of Melrose Care Center in Melrose, Minnesota.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, June 24 at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose with Deacon Ernie Kociemba officiating. Inurnment will be in Oak Hill Cemetery in Melrose.

Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home.

Dorothy Marie Breitbach was born May 24, 1933 in Lake George Township, Stearns County, Minnesota to Frank and Nellie (Underwood) Breitbach. Dorothy was a descendant of an orphan train rider, her mother, Nellie. She was united in marriage to Howard Carstens on October 8, 1955 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.  Dorothy worked side by side with her husband at Carstens Industries in Melrose for many years. She was active in volunteering in her community including being a Boy Scouts Cub Master, member of the Homemakers and the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 101. Two of her favorite things to do were playing cards and dancing.

Survivors include her children, Cynthia Carstens of Fair Oaks, California, Wayne (Jeannie) Carstens of Hawaii, James “Jim” (Brenda) Carstens of Melrose, and Kim (Tim) Piehl of Baxter; 11 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren; and sister-in-law, Rosemary “Honey” Breitbach of Brainerd. 

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Howard Carstens on May 28, 2021; parents; brothers, Donald, Harold, and Edward Breitbach; and sister, Anna Marie Schwieters.

A special thank you to St. Croix Hospice and the staff at Cura of Melrose Care Center for the wonderful care they provided our mother.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Eagles Healing Nest in Sauk Centre.