A Life Well Lived 

If you asked Mom what she was most proud of, she might tell you that while raising five children, she went back to college and earned her teaching degree. With children ranging in age from five to eighteen, she somehow found the determination to study, graduate, and spend many years teaching fourth grade in Cazenovia, New York. We were certainly proud of that accomplishment, too. 

But that's only a small part of who Dorothy France Kiefer was. 

Mom simply couldn't help serving others. If there was a need, she found a way to fill it. She joined the Georgetown Fire Department so she could train for the ambulance squad because she believed women had a special gift for comforting people during their hardest moments. She volunteered at Camp Georgetown, a minimum-security prison, where she taught inmates how to read, and faithfully served through her Baptist church, the Grange, and the Willing Workers. Helping wasn't something she did—it was who she was. 

Our home reflected her generous heart. Raising five children apparently wasn't enough, because there always seemed to be foster children or Fresh Air kids living with us, too. At times there were eight children under our roof. Add in dogs, cats, a skunk, goats, a pony, and just about every other critter imaginable, and it was never a quiet place. 

It was also the neighborhood gathering spot. We had a creek, a treehouse, and an old barn that every kid wanted to explore. They came for the adventures but stayed because Mom made everyone feel welcome—and because she was an incredible cook and baker. She had taken classes through Cornell Cooperative Extension, tended a huge garden every summer, canned vegetables every fall, and somehow managed to feed the ever-growing crowd around our table. 

She also believed that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing right. Becky-Jo and I, Laurie-Sue, learned every domestic skill she could teach us. I have to admit I wasn't always her star pupil. Even now, every time I wash dishes or hang clothes on the line, I can almost feel her looking over my shoulder, making sure I'm doing it correctly. As much as I teased her about those lessons, the work ethic she instilled in all of us has shaped every part of our lives. Thank you, Mom, for making me wash those dishes again. 

Forty-seven years ago, Mom married Donald Kiefer, and together they began a wonderful new chapter. After retiring to Stuart, Florida, they discovered a love of travel. If they weren't in Mexico, Italy, Spain, England, Scotland, or somewhere else on the map, they were planning the next adventure. Sometimes Dale, Kenny, and I were lucky enough to come along. Sometimes they happily wandered off together, getting just a little lost and loving every minute of it. 

Some of her greatest joy came from being close to Becky's children—Amanda, Warren, and Aaron. Watching those relationships grow was a gift. Amanda's loving care during Mom's final year was especially beautiful, and our family will always be grateful for the devotion she showed her grandmother. 

Mom leaves behind her children: Andy (Deborah), Timothy (Kathy), Lauren (Dale), and Rebekah (Rob); her stepchildren, Brenda, Cheryl, and David; grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family, and countless friends whose lives are better because they knew her. She now joins those who welcomed her Home before us—her parents, Christina and LeRoy France; her son, Ken; her sister Jane and so many dear friends, along with what we can only imagine is a joyful reunion with the many beloved animals she cared for over the years. 

I like to imagine that when Mom opened her eyes in Heaven, there was a long line of people waiting to thank her for making a difference in their lives. And then the Lord took her hands and said the words she spent ninety-five years living toward: 

"Well done, good and faithful servant." 

Donations can be made to Haven Hospice of Lake City Florida, without them I would have been lost and mom would have suffered. They are doing God's work.