DOROTHY M. DETERDING
Dorothy M. Deterding, known affectionately to her family and friends as “Dotty”, passed away peacefully at her Longmont, Colorado home on Thursday, December 30, 2021. She was 88 years old.
She was born February 4, 1933 in Cambridge, NE to Monroe Deterding and Della Smith Deterding. Dotty spent her childhood years in rural Nebraska with her two older brothers Kenneth and Darrel.
Dotty graduated from Cambridge High School in 1950. A curious and hardworking student, she served as Class Secretary for her class and was active in the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls.
Dotty lived the Cambridge High graduating class motto “Out of School Life into Life’s School” to the fullest. She left rural Nebraska with her high school friend Shirley Coba (Beber) and moved to Boulder, Colorado where they worked for Mountain Bell as switch board operators. This move to Boulder was where she became known as “Dotty” by the many new friends she made.
From her start as a switchboard operator, she moved into Municipal Government in the city finance department of Boulder, CO and later the city of Eugene, OR. Her interest in finance coupled with her administrative skills led her to banking and in 1978 she graduated from the Colorado Graduate School of Banking held through the University of Colorado - Boulder becoming a nationally recognized Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager. She retired as a Vice President with Banc One in 1995.
Dotty married Marvin E Gause June 10, 1995. They spent 17 years together before Marvin passed away in May 2012.
During her professional career she was involved in the Boulder Business and Professional Women’s Club, Beta Sigma Phi, Boulder Municipal Employees Association, Municipal Finance Officers Association, listed in Outstanding Young Women in America, National Association of Bank Women, American Business Women’s Association and YMCA of Boulder. Volunteering her time to social causes, she sat on the Board of Directors for the Golden West Manor Retirement Home, Boulder County Social Services Advisory Committee and the Boulder County United Way. In retirement she volunteered at Longmont Community Hospital and was very active in the International Lions Club
Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband Marvin E. Gause. She is survived by her step children Dr. Cindy Gause Vega and her husband Juan F. de Vega, John A. Gause and his wife Tammy, Carol Lea Wood and her husband Philip G Wood, nephews Bill Deterding and his wife Joy, Jim Deterding and his wife Liz, Doug Deterding and wife Denise, nieces Barb Baca and her husband Tim, Sharon Meissner and her husband Dave. She is also survived by many grandchildren, great-grandchildren as well as great-nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held for Dotty on Thursday, February 24, 2022 at 1:00 pm at Ahlberg Funeral Chapel in Longmont, CO. Dotty will be laid to rest in a Graveside Service at Greenlawn Cemetery in Berthoud, CO at 2:30pm. Fond memories and condolences may be shared at www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com.
