Doris Ann Appelwick

Doris Ann Appelwick passed away on February 26, 2012 at the Golden Living Center in Rush City after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Doris was born on August 16, 1928 in Lamberton, Minnesota to Walter and Anna Krinke.  She attended the Lamberton School graduating in 1946.  She acquired her BA degree from Mankato State University.  Her first teaching job was at Clarkfield, Minnesota teaching music at the high school. Doris met her future husband Joe, and they were married on September 29, 1951.  Joe enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Anchorage, Alaska where their son Glenn was born.  They were in Alaska for three years, and from there Doris followed her husband to Tinker Field Air Force Base where they remained until the spring of 1955.  After the service, Doris and Joe returned to Clarkfield where Doris resumed her teaching career in senior high music at the Clarkfield High School.  From there the family moved to Pine City, Minnesota in 1967.  Doris taught music to the elementary students until her retirement in 1988. During Doris’ teaching career at the Pine City Elementary School, she directed a number of musicals.  Mr. Mark Halling, high school band director, urged Doris to copyright her Disney Christmas musical. After Doris retired, she became the director of the choir at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Pine City for 22 years.  During that time, she led the choir in numerous Christmas cantatas, which were attended by many people from local churches in the community and surrounding areas.  Also, she took the choir to the Federal Correctional Institution in Sandstone, Minnesota to present the cantatas to the inmates there for 13 years.  These cantatas were aired on the local radio station, WCMP and Channel 12 on television.  On one occasion she led a huge community choir at the elementary school auditorium at Christmastime which included all local choirs and interested singers.  She also formed the Pine City Senior Citizens Choir that performed at nursing homes, senior nutrition centers, funerals and RSVP (Retired Seniors Volunteer Program) at their annual meetings and one at the State Conference in the Twin Cities.  They performed at many other events at the request of various organizations until health issues forced her to retire from these musical activities that she loved so much. Doris received the Lions’ International Melvin Jones award, Pine City Senior Citizen of the Year Award, and the Pine County Citizen of the Year award for her many years of service to Pine City and the surrounding area. Doris enjoyed her time at Mille Lacs Lake with her husband Joe and friends, and enjoyed her fishing and other activities there.  She also enjoyed their years of traveling to Porto Vallarta in Mexico and Branson, Missouri.  Her favorite show at Branson was the Andy Williams Show which she and Joe attended many times. Doris is survived by her husband Joe, her son Glenn of Renville, Minnesota, sister-in-law Zona Krinke of Minneapolis, Minnesota, nieces: Connie VanderWeale of Spring Grove, Illinois, Randi Nelson of Shirley, Massachusetts; great nephew David Nelson of Shirley, Massachusetts, and especially her cat Tubby. Doris is preceded in death by her parents Walter and Anna Krinke, and her brother Donneth Krinke. Reverend Ron Boettner will officiate services for Doris Appelwick on Friday, March 2, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Pine City. A time of visitation is scheduled for Thursday, March 1, 2012 from 4:30 - 7:00 p.m. at the Swanson Funeral Chapel, and also one hour before the funeral at the church.Interment will be at Hilltop Cemetery in Pine City, Minnesota.Funeral arrangements for Mrs. Doris Appelwick are with the Funeral and Cremation Service ~ Swanson Chapel in Pine City.