Dorothy Mae (Carnitz) Wortmann

Dorothy (Carnitz) Wortmann, age 87, of Waynesville, MO (previously St. Charles, MO), moved to her Heavenly home on May 4, 2025, surrounded by loved ones. Dorothy was a Godly woman, who loved the Lord and her family very deeply. Dorothy was an inspiration and was so proud to set an example for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren that will lead them positively through all of their lives. Though Dorothy was a humble and gentle woman, she was nonetheless a powerful prayer warrior, and only Heaven knows what a wonderful and eternal impact all her decades of faithful praying have had on her family and friends. Dorothy was beyond happy to be blessed by the Lord with a generous 87 years, which allowed her to positively impact on the 4th generation of her family, and most importantly, she began to show this new generation the importance of our Lord and enjoyed sharing her love for the Lord with her 3 great-grandchildren every day with daily devotions. Although Dorothy moved away from her physical church home, this did not stop her from being a devoted Lutheran. Every Sunday, Dorothy could be found with her iced coffee, watching an online service, singing the hymn's with the 4th generation she was so proud of, making sharing her love for the Lord a tradition with them, one in which excited them so much that as soon as they heard the organ playing, they went running to her, ready to praise the Lord with her. This was so important to Dorothy to be able to set the foundation of the importance of the Lord in this new generation, something that is not very common among the new generation of today. Dorothy had been through several traumatic experiences in her 87 years, and every traumatic experience brought her even closer to the Lord. No matter what the devil threw at her, she never once turned her back to the Lord, and instead she stepped closer to the Lord, becoming stronger and never discouraged. No matter the circumstances, she fought with her Faith and won every time with a smile on her face, knowing the Devil could never touch her. This allowed Dorothy to go through multiple traumatic experiences coming out stronger, which for most would be nearly impossible, including losing two children, yet she still battled through the pain, and continued to be so strong that most people did not even know of her traumatic experiences, because she was always so positive and strong, always with a smile on her face. She put everything in the hands of our Lord, and he never led her stray, and he always let his light shine upon her so brightly, that she was truly beaming and glowing. Dorothy was a twin and was born on December 17th, 1937, in Chicago, IL, to the late Howard and Dorothy (Klaesi). She was baptized in faith in her very early weeks of life at St. Stephens Church in Chicago, in January of 1938, and was later confirmed at the same location in March of 1951. In 1955, she and her family moved to Houston, TX, where she graduated from Lutheran High School South, proudly a member of the class of 1955. She skipped no time in pursuing her dream of being a teacher, and jumped right into college in the same year, determined to get her schooling done quickly, so she could start her cherished career in teaching. Dorothy attended Concordia University at Austin, TX from 1955-1957, and had the high honor of being a graduate of the very first graduating class which was co-ed. Being one of the first female graduates allowed to graduate from this school was a milestone never forgotten, and an opportunity which was incredibly rare back then, but the Lord had it all planned in his perfect timing, and gave Dorothy one of the highest honors, and this set the bar for future generations in the aspect of colleges allowing women to obtain their degree. Upon graduation, she taught at Mt. Olive Lutheran Elementary School, in Houston, TX, until she moved to St. Charles, MO in 1960. Again, not allowing any time to pass, she immediately began teaching at Immanuel Lutheran School of St. Charles, MO, in which she taught from 1960-1966. She devoted the next six years to sharing her passion and love for Jesus to many students by not only teaching but also coaching grade school and high school softball and volleyball. In January of 1966, her entire world changed, as she continued to follow the path set for her by our Lord, who never failed to provide Dorothy with the best timing to pursue the journey written before her. In January of 1966, she stumbled upon another stout and devoted Lutheran, and it was obvious that the Lord handpicked these two to be together and set the ultimate example for a strong and profound marriage. This stout, devoted, and per Dorothy "absolutely dreamy" gentleman was John Wortmann, and in a matter of 6 months, he changed her whole world, and while the path was a total change for Dorothy, she never once questioned the Lord's timing, as she knew that He would never lead her down the wrong path. After only 6 months of courtship, the two came together as one, on July 30th, 1966. Dorothy chose to devote her time to being a wife and starting a family formed on the base of our Lord, and together they had 4 children over the course of the next 7 years. While focusing on being a wife and mother, she still found the time to pursue her passion for teaching, and subbed at Trinity Lutheran of Orchard Farm, as well as at the Orchard Farm school district, in the middle of Orchard Farm, MO. Dorothy was no ordinary wife and mother, as she was the wife of John Wortmann, and anyone who knew him knows that this in itself sets her apart from the ordinary! Dorothy had gone from being a city girl, to being a farmer's wife, and this path gave Dorothy several tragedies from child loss, to floods, to fires, and several other life altering events, but with John at her side, she was able to power through every set back with a smile on her face, with even fiercer faith and love for Christ. She set the prime example for being a loving, caring, and nurturing mother and wife, making life look incredibly easy, when it was far from easy. After years of being a dedicated and devoted wife and mother, she became a grandmother to one granddaughter, and John was blessed with the opportunity to retire from Fabick, and the two began to enjoy life together outside of working, farming, raising children, and everything in between. The Lord gave them the opportunity to see and experience life outside of small town Missouri, and find the love and joy in traveling, getting the opportunity to experience breath taking views that most people only see in pictures, and were given the opportunity to be mesmerized by our Lord's beauty in nature in not only the US, but other countries as well. While they were enjoying the retired life together, they still never strayed away from their strong faith, and they gave all praise and thanks to our Lord. Per Dorothy, she never stopped thanking the Lord for what he put her through, whether good or bad, because she could prove to herself how strong she was while she hurdled over every obstacle the Devil threw at her. She was a role model, and she did not even know how highly she was regarded, because of her selfless nature. After a few years of well-deserved retirement, that were remarkably less stressful than previous years, the Lord decided that they needed some excitement in their lives, and they finished raising their only grandchild. One night Dorothy was an empty nester, whose biggest task was getting the coffee pot ready for the following morning, and the next night she was no longer an empty nester and took pride in getting to finish raising her grandchild. She gave up her quietness and retirement overnight, and never once complained, but instead thanked the Lord for the opportunity, and the granddaughter was no longer a granddaughter, she was a daughter, so Dorothy was a mother all over again, and she did nothing but praise the Lord for this, and continue to be a very active member of their church of several decades. She was so selfless, she gave up her quiet retirement years and never looked back at what she gave up with regret but instead embraced the journey of mothering all over again, with a smile on her face. Even through all of this, she continued to remain strong in her faith, and bring herself and others closer to God. Through the years that followed, Dorothy became a great-grandmother and learned an entirely new type of love. Dorothy was finally able to relax again and enjoy the beauty of life side to side next to her husband, until the Lord called him home. Exactly 13 months to the day, God decided it was time to reunite the two, and Dorothy was called home. She left behind a legacy that one could only dream to fulfill, and she still did not know how respected she was. To Dorothy, she was just living life being the Lord's good and faithful servant, but to everyone else she was a remarkable and highly respected woman, a woman out of the ordinary, and a woman who never gave up. Her selflessness, which made her so humble will never be forgotten, nor will the pure acts of love and kindness. Dorothy is the prime example of a faithful follower of God, and she left an impact on so many people's lives just by being strong and remaining strong in her faith no matter what was thrown at her. Dorothy leaves behind one sister, Jo (Carnitz) Bower of Bryan, TX; two biological daughters, Johanna Wortmann; Rebecca (Wortmann) Price; one adopted daughter, (biological granddaughter) Noelle (Price) Stanley, and husband, Steven; three great grandchildren, Maelee Stanley, Rylee Stanley, and Bailee Stanley; Neice, Jana (Hendren) Boston; and one nephew, David Hendren. Dorothy was reunited in Heaven with those called home before her; husband John Wortmann; son John Wortmann Jr; daughter Patricia Wortmann; mother Dorothy (Klaesi) Carnitz; father Howard Carnitz, and twin sister, Darlene (Carnitz) Hendren. Dorothy will be greatly missed, but she will forever be loved deeply. She leaves behind a legacy that will never be forgotten, and a legacy that will be nearly impossible to fill the shoes of. She will always be the visual meaning of inspiration. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, May 9, 2025, in the Trinity Lutheran Church located at 4795 MO – 94, St. Charles, MO. Burial will follow in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, 1027 S. 64 Street, St. Charles, MO. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Memorial Chapels and Crematory of Waynesville / St. Robert. Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. until time of service at 10:00 a.m. Friday, May 9, 2025, in the Trinity Lutheran Church located at 4795 MO – 94, St. Charles, MO. Memorial contributions may be made in memory of Dorothy Wortmann to the Trinity Lutheran Church or Nori Logistics (in memory of a legacy project) and may be left at the funeral services or locally at Memorial Chapels and Crematory of Waynesville / St. Robert.

Dorothy Mae (Carnitz) Wortmann

December 17, 1937 - May 4, 2025