Stillwater, Oklahoma - We are saddened to report that long time Stillwater resident Dorothy Kraemer passed away peacefully in her home at the age of 85. She is survived by her sons, Larry and his wife Alison of Richardson Texas, Peter and his wife Sheila of Norman, Oklahoma and their daughter Shelby Keene Kraemer. Dorothy outlived her loving spouse of 50 plus years, Sam Kraemer who passed in 2024 as well as all her family of birth.

Dorothy was born in Burlington Vermont in 1941 to Laurence Keene and Dorothy Bryant. Her father was a soldier in the Army, part of the group preparing to invade Japan before the bombing of Hiroshima effectively ended the war. Her mother was an RN. Dorothy's parents were stationed at Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma, which is where Dorothy and her two siblings, Michael and Mary, were raised.

Dorothy was the eldest of the three children. From an early age she demonstrated a formidable intelligence that would be noted by everyone who spent any time with her. An academic all-star, Dorothy also played the clarinet and acted in grade school and high school plays. She was an Honor Society Member, National Merit Semi-Finalist, and received a partial scholarship to study at Tulane University. Unfortunately, her parents weren't supportive of Dorothy's academic ambitions and instead chose to support her brother Mike's dreams of college. Undeterred by this setback, Dorothy elected to go into the "family business"—nursing. In 1961 she graduated at the top of her class from Saint Anthony's School of Nursing in Oklahoma City. She received a two year scholarship to St. Mary's College in Xavier Kansas which would have awarded her a bachelor's in science on completion. Once again fate intervened, in the form of a prior commitment to the US Army. Unable to get the scholarship deferred, Dorothy embarked on a career in the military.

Dorothy served for 3 years during the Vietnam war. On a tour of duty in Okinawa in 1963, Dorothy cared for a hardheaded soldier nursing a broken ankle. Sparks flew between the dashing officer and tall, formidable nurse with the long blond hair. Two years later they were married and shortly thereafter Dorothy gave birth to her eldest son, Larry. She chose to seek honorable discharge and left with the rank of Captain in 1965. Three years later her younger son, Pete, was born.

During their marriage, Sam's military career meant frequent moves, often to exotic destinations. Dorothy spent time briefly in Germany as well as in Ethiopia. Dorothy was always willing to take on more responsibility, organizing charitable events as well as providing her nursing expertise to help teach younger nurses. In Ethiopia, she received a commendation from the base commander, citing her excellence as a teacher and trainer. As her children grew older, Dorothy worked to impart in them the same curiosity about life and the same love of learning. When Sam's assignments took him to areas too dangerous for his young family, Dorothy found herself raising two boys alone.

Growing tired of miliary grind, the young couple selected Stillwater, Oklahoma, as their place to begin civilian life. It was a return to a place they first discovered when Sam was encouraged by the military to pursue a master's degree in electrical engineering. The family took up residence at the corner of 9th and Stanley. After a decade and a half of constant moving, Sam and Dorothy would never relocate again.

As Sam settled into teaching and her sons grew older, Dorothy saw an opportunity to return to the professional life she enjoyed so much. Conveniently located within a couple of blocks of the Stillwater Medical Center, Dorothy became a fixture of hospital life. Working a couple evenings a week, she supervised the 5th floor post surgical ward. Dorothy supported her team, helped everyone excel, and woe to the young doctor that tried to push her to do something that was not in the best interest of her patient. It was only the young doctors, because the old ones knew better!

When Dorothy saw one of her younger colleagues struggling, she would unfailingly step in to provide emotional, intellectual or financial support. Dorothy was acutely aware of how a positive push could change someone's life. That support was given irrespective of skin color or sexual orientation. Dorothy modeled uncommon tolerance in an era that struggled with that simple premise. It was behavior that demonstrated to her sons how to live.

If nursing could be done as a remote job, Dorothy could have worked well into her late 70s. It wasn't her mind that betrayed her. On her very short walk to work one winter's day, Dorothy slipped and fell on the ice, damaging one knee in a way that not even knee surgery entirely healed. Unable to spend hours standing, and with Sam's retirement approaching, Dorothy made the difficult decision to retire from nursing.

In the intervening years, Dorothy's mother died from what was at the time a little known illness, Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease, otherwise known as Mad Cow. Having observed firsthand the horrible symptoms of this disease and how difficult it was to get a diagnosis, Dorothy made it her mission to increase awareness and offer comfort to other victims of the disease. With the tools of the early internet—email and website—Dorthy helped form the CJDVoice organization in 1997. Using her talent for organization, medical knowledge and mental toughness, Dorothy helped hundreds who would otherwise have had no answers. Dorothy would also occasionally contribute columns to local papers and give back to the community as a volunteer for elections. In a world of happily ever after, Sam and Dorothy would have had a quiet retirement, filled with travel and the joy of each other. That was not to be.

As Sam began to struggle with the onset of Parkinsons, Dorothy decided to address the growing pain in her unrepaired knee. The surgery proved problematic and although it healed, the knee was never strong. In 2017, Dorothy's knees failed, and she was never able to rehabilitate them. She was limited to a wheelchair at first, but ultimately bedfast. Now a patient, Dorothy would, through a reliance on home health care, encounter young nurses, nursing students and aides. There is a saying that, "nurses make the worst patients". Some who met Dorothy found this to be the case. But by far the largest number found someone who could help them with their studies and tell them through experience how to get things done. She was a patient, but also a mentor, and to many, a friend.

At an age when most struggle with the basic challenges of life, Dorothy took care of Sam, ran a household, and did all those things while unable to get out of bed. She was determined to keep control of her life and pass away in her home of more than 50 years. Even as she turned 85, Dorothy remained a powerful presence, able to size you up and dress you down when she felt it was warranted. Dorothy will be remembered by those who knew her best and those she raised, as a brilliant women who found a way. She found a way to have a profession, when the world hadn't yet found a place for many brilliant women to do this. She found a way to raise sons who learned that cooking, cleaning, reading and learning were just as important as earning a living. She found ways to help people achieve high standards. Dorothy leaves a 40 year imprint on the Central Oklahoma nursing community that is unmatched. For all of us who loved her, and there were many, she will be profoundly missed.

A small memorial service will be held at 11 AM Friday October 3rd at the family residence. The family would like to express their deepest appreciation to her home healthcare team from Right At Home, the Presbyterian Church of Stillwater, and the many others who have stopped by to express their sympathies.