Gertrude Dornbusch

Gertrude Dornbusch, 86 died Thursday, July 6, 2023 at the Freeman Regional Medical Center.  Memorial services will be at 10:00am Monday, July 10, 2023 at the Tieszen Memorial Home Chapel in Marion.  Burial will be at the St. Lawrence Cemetery, Milbank.  Arrangements by Hofmeister Jones Funeral Home.

Gertrude was born November 24, 1936 at Milbank, SD to Gilbert and Rose Ellen (Hanson) Engleson who where residing at Twin Brooks where Mr. Engelson owned a car and implement repair shop.  Gertrude attended Twin Brooks school her first year.  The family then moved to Milbank where she attended the local schools and graduated from Milbank High School in 1954.  After graduation she was employed for a short time at JC Penny & Co. and then at the Northwestern Bell Telephone Company where she was a switchboard operator. She met Jim at the Brite Spot Café and from that day on a sailor and a switchboard operator became entrepreneurs in the restaurant business.

On January 30, 1956 she was united in marriage to Donald “Jim” Dornbusch at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Milbank.  To this union were born two children, Jess and Teresa.  The couple then owned and operated the Club Alibi at Ortonville, MN for 2 years.  After moving  back to Milbank they purchased the Brite Spot Café in 1960.  In 1964 they built and operated the Lantern Inn in Milbank, later adding on a 300 seat banquet facility, they became the go to place for any and all events.  They retired while in their 40’s and spent the next 40 plus years enjoying life.  Their winter months were spent in Fort Meyers Beach, FL and fun times were spent in Las Vegas and wherever the Super Bowl was located.  They attended the first 3 super bowls and were in New Orleans in 1970 as Vikings fans.

Her interest besides her family which she cherished were music, history, reading and crafts.  She really enjoyed card games such as pinochle, whist, cribbage and bridge.  This past Father’s Day she partnered with her son Jess and they beat Jim and Irma two games to one, not saying she cackled about the win, but pretty close.  She was a 25 years member of the Makocha Study Club and a member of the St. Lawrence Parish.  The past 8 years she has been a resident of the Tieszen Memorial Home in Marion, SD.  She made many friends, made sure all new residents felt welcome, enjoyed setting up the dinning room tables, was a resident advocate and was able to spend more time with her daughter Teresa, who moved to Marion also, and her son Jess and daughter-in-law, Irma.

Grateful for having shared her life are her husband Jim; a son Jess and Irma Dornbusch of Parker; grandson Benjamin Lieffort, Spearfish, SD; great granddaughters Mia and Kiana; great grandson Jameson, and step great granddaughters Priya and Miriam.

She was preceded in death by her daughter Teresa and a sister Roaalie Sppala.