Dorothy Ann Amare

Dorothy Ann Amare, 77, of Jacksonville, passed away Saturday, February 28, 2015, at Heritage Health in Jacksonville. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 21, 2015, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Grove City. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Interment will in the Arndahl Cemetery. She was born August 12, 1937, in Litchfield, Minnesota, the daughter of George and Alice Nelson Dahlk. She is survived by her husband, Amare Gizaw. After their marriage Sept. 24, 2002 in Denver Colorado, they made their home in Jacksonville, IL. Dorothy is also survived by her children, Jessica Hack of Baden-Baden, Germany, and Erik R. (wife, Jennifer) Hack of Jacksonville; additional family members Philip (wife, Linda) Templin of Denver, Colorado, Samantha (husband, Chris) Hack of Baltimore, Maryland, and Konrad Hack of Macomb; two sisters, Phyllis (husband, Ed) Bergo of Gilbert, Arizona, and Mayone (deceased husband, Otieno) Odenyo of Bayside, New York; nieces and nephews Steven (wife, Conni) Bergo of Grove City, Minnesota, Mark (wife, Marlene) Bergo of Novato, California, Dina Odenyo of Bayside, New York, and Martin (wife, Wanjira) Odenyo of Ashburn, Virginia; several grand nieces and nephews; many cousins and second cousins from coast to coast; as well as a sister and brother of choice, Carole Hack and Charley Frank, both of Jacksonville. Dorothy was raised on the Nelson-Dahlk (now Bergo) family farm near Grove City, Minnesota. She received her B.A. from St. Olaf College and later earned her M.A. degree from University of Illinois in Springfield. She was employed as an inspector at Mobil Chemical in Jacksonville for 25 years. Dorothy's love of music and serving others were her guiding forces throughout her life. She taught music to many people, originally as a young educator working for the Department of Defense in Germany, and later as choir director, pianist, and organist with many churches and organizations in Jacksonville. In addition to her keyboard skills, she played the French horn, clarinet, and percussion, and was a loyal supporter and participant in the Jacksonville Symphony and Symphony Chorale, as well as a founding member of Diversity Dinners. Dorothy took great pleasure in opening her home and her heart to many. She was always willing to take in someone in need of shelter, lend a helping hand to someone down on their luck, or share extra tickets to musical events with children who would not otherwise have had a chance to attend. Well known throughout numerous area churches, Dorothy was a member of Brooklyn Methodist Church and a friend of First Presbyterian Church, which she attended regularly with her husband Amare. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Jacksonville Symphony Society.Previous Events Visitation Saturday, March 21, 2015 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Trinity Lutheran Church 54384 Highway 12 East Grove City, MN 56243 Visitation Saturday, March 21, 2015 11:00 AM Trinity Lutheran Church 54384 Highway 12 East Grove City, MN 56243