Dorothy Mae "Jantzen" (Jantzen) Luker

Dorothy Mae (Jantzen) Luker, 92, of Glendale, AZ went to be with her Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ, on August 2, 2025. Born September 12, 1932, in Beatrice, NE to Abraham & Agnes (Albrecht) Jantzen, she was baptized and confirmed in the First Mennonite Church. Dorothy spent her childhood on a farm near Ellis, NE and then by Plymouth, NE. After "helping" her parents raise her five younger siblings who were all under age five, and then Baby Ruth seven years later, she graduated from Beatrice High School in 1951. She then taught for a year in a one room schoolhouse close to home. She taught grades 1-8 with 12 students. After deciding that was too much, she took teacher training in Bethel College, Newton, KS and continued teaching for a number of years in various towns around Beatrice, NE. Along the way she completed a year of hospital work in the Beatrice Community Hospital, she dedicated a year of voluntary service to a boy's school in Poughkeepsie NY, and attended Bethel College summer schools, graduating from Bethel in 1965. After graduating, she taught in Hillsboro, KS then moved to Fort Wayne, IN where she provided contract teaching in the inner city, remaining there until her retirement from teaching 29 years later. After retiring, she moved to Phoenix, AZ in 1996, first living in Baptist Retirement Village and then moving to Glencroft in Glendale, AZ in 2015. She married Jim Luker in 1974 while living in Woodburn, Indiana, divorcing a few years later. While attending Trinity Mennonite Church, Dorothy was active in bible study classes, played piano in church from the old Hymnal, and headed up the MCC School Kit project sewing many of the bags herself. She faithfully attended her Life Group Meetings and filled many spiral notebooks with her sermon notes. Found among her treasured belongings were copious notes with Bible scriptures and verses written on them. As the elder sibling of seven, she also had assumed the role of "keeper" of the family heirlooms and created numerous heritage family albums of old pictures ensuring the continuation of connecting the family to their past and stories. Dorothy is survived by three brothers and one sister: Harlan Jantzen of Denver, CO, Ernest Jantzen of Beatrice, NE, Alvin Jantzen of Leo, IN, Ruth (Jantzen) Lunn of San Tan Valley AZ, Sister-in-law Rogena Jantzen of Beatrice, NE, and numerous nieces & nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents Abe & Agnes Jantzen, Beatrice, NE, sister Erna Jantzen Thieszen, of Holdredge, NE, Brother Gerald Jantzen of Beatrice, NE, a sister-in-law and two brothers-in-law. A highlight of this past year for Dorothy was being honored by her nieces and nephews at their cousin reunion as being the eldest of 112 members in her Jantzen family. Celebration of Life Services will be held on the day of her 93rd Birthday, September 12, 2025, at 10:30 AM at Trinity Mennonite Church, 4334 W Vista Ave, Glendale, AZ 85301. Inurnment will be in her home church First Mennonite Church Beatrice, NE at a later date. The link for Livestream may be requested by contacting Trinity Church at: trinity@trinity-mennonite.com Memorials may be given to: MCC and Bethel College.