Gloria Dotte

Gloria Carol Dotte (nee Ogren) Beloved Mom, Grandma Great Grandma & Sister Of White Bear Lake. Preceded in death by husband Robert & daughter Mary Pat. Survived by children Paul, Nancy DeMars, Dan (Pauline), Bob Jr., Bruce, Linda, and Tim (Brenda); 11 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren; siblings Jerry Ogren (Joan), Karen Sauvageau (Roger) and Steve Ogren (Ila) & other family and friends. Gathering for friends and family from 4-7:00 pm on Wednesday, July 10th at MUELLER MEMORIAL, 4738 Bald Eagle Ave., White Bear Lake. Mass of Christian Burial 12:30 pm on Thursday, July 11th at ST. MARY OF THE LAKE CATHOLIC CHURCH, 4741 Bald Eagle Avenue, White Bear Lake, with second visitation 1 hour prior to Mass at church. Private interment at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Cemetery in White Bear Lake. Memorials preferred to Alzheimer’s Association. Gloria was born in Port Wing, Wisconsin on April 11, 1933, the daughter of Ruby (nee Swenson) and Carl Ogren. Her family moved around a lot due to her father’s work as an electrician. They lived in Grand Marais, Duluth, Port Wing, and eventually the Twin Cities. She worked throughout her youth at a hotel in Port Wing and at her grandparents farm. Gloria graduated from Mechanic Arts High School in St. Paul where she enjoyed being a member of the basketball team and a part of the drama club musical productions. When she was almost 21 years old, she was a part of a bugle and drum guild. The group marched in parades and would go celebrate after their performances. After marching one night, she met the love of her life, Robert “Bob” Dotte, at a dance. He had just returned from being overseas during the Korean War and their kids believe that his time overseas may have given him the extra courage to go up and ask her to dance. The two began dating and were married at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church on September 25, 1954. They built a house in White Bear Lake and began attending St. Pius X Catholic Church. Gloria and Bob had eight children so they added additions to the home over the years. As the kids grew up, they each had their turn to live in the self-sufficient, lower level of the home which had a walk out to a huge backyard and park. The backyard was so beautiful that eventually 4 of the kids were married there. Gloria was a fun loving mom and a phenomenal hostess. She created a home that became the favorite gathering spot for the kids, family, friends, and neighbors. Robert worked at the family landscaping/snow plowing company and worked very hard to support his big family. Although a mother of eight children, Gloria strongly believed in helping to keep them going financially so she always kept a full time job. She worked at a shoe store and many different factory jobs. She would work the night shift but never missed getting the kids off to school or preparing dinner in advance for Bob to put in the oven. Gloria had a Swedish background and was a wonderful cook and baker. She particularly loved baking sweets and made cookies and bars for family whenever possible. The two of them took pride in their home and remodeled or fixed everything on their own. Gloria truly enjoyed taking care of the house and working on projects with Bob. Throughout the years, she and Bob continued to love dancing and listening to music. She particularly liked Willie Nelson (and eventually named her cat after him). The first dance she and Bob danced to was the blue skirt waltz. Bob and Gloria were very smart when it came to their money. They worked hard to give the kids everything possible and seldom splurged. Once, they paid for gas using a $.10 stamp because they did not have any cash. Despite their close eye on their money, they were able to enjoy some fun trips with the kids. They often times went camping at Port Wing or many campgrounds closer to home. One of the most memorable trips was in 1974 on a road trip to Florida where they all went to Disney World. In recent years, they were able to take some more fun trips. They went on cruises in the Caribbean with their son and even went to Las Vegas for their 40th anniversary. While in Vegas, they found a machine with $40 credit and were able to play for fun on someone else’s dime. They stayed longtime members of St. Pius X, raised all their children in the faith there and volunteered whenever possible. Gloria was a Eucharistic Adoration volunteer and even made desserts and sides for the different luncheons at church. More than anything, Gloria just loved spending time with her family. She was an outgoing, loving, and dedicated mother and grandma. Gloria is preceded in death by her husband, Robert “Bob” Dotte; her daughter, Mary Pat Dotte; and her siblings, Bob Ogren and Sue Gonsoski. She will be dearly missed by her children, Paul Dotte of Austin, TX, Nancy DeMars of White Bear Lake, MN, Dan (Pauline) Dotte of Portage, WI, Bob Dotte Jr. of Hugo, MN, Bruce Dotte of White Bear Lake, MN, Linda Dotte of Stillwater, MN, and Tim (Brenda) Dotte of Hugo, MN; her grandchildren, Cherie Alcox of Austin, TX, Alex Dotte of Austin, TX, Ben (Nikki) Dotte of Madison, WI, Allison (Tony) Olson of Deforest, WI, Julia (Ryan) Jordan of Lakeland, MN, Hailey DeMars of Oakdale, MN, Rick Dotte of White Bear Lake, MN, Sarah Dotte of White Bear Lake, MN, Sam Dotte of Hugo, MN, Jake Dotte of Hugo, MN, and Josh Dotte of Hugo, MN; her great-grandchildren, Adriana Alcox, Rex Alcox, Hunter Dotte, Luke Dotte, and Zach Dotte, Lennox Jordan, Bowie Jordan; her brother, Jerry (Joan) Ogren of Lincoln, NE, Karen (Roger) Sauvageau of Shoreview, MN, and Steve (Ila) Ogren of St. Paul, MN; her brother-in-law, Dan Gonsoski of Maplewood, MN; and many other family and friends.