Jeanie Doran & Jerry Reckdahl Tributes
Meeker County lost a couple of community promoters in the past few weeks. The obituaries for Jeanie Doran of Litchfield and Jerry Reckdahl – formerly of Grove City – are listed on the Johnson-Hagglund website.
Jeanie Shoultz Doran passed away on October 7th at the age of 90. She was born in Litchfield and had deep roots in the community. One of her great grandfathers served in the Civil War and another was the owner of the Lenhardt hotel in downtown Litchfield. She had a passion for music and after graduating from Litchfield High School in 1952, she pursued her dream of teaching at St. Cloud Teachers College and went on to teach 4th grade and music in Sartell.
In 1957, Jeanie married Frank Doran and moved to St. Paul, and became the mother of two sons – Michael and John. She managed the family-owned Inwood Resort on Gull Lake in Nisswa, and worked at Cardiac Pacemakers (now Boston Scientific), where she was responsible for the accuracy of engineering drawings and specifications. She also served as a music therapy assistant at Courage Center and as an activity coordinator/music specialist at Maplewood Care Center, where she played a wide range of instruments, including autoharp, ukulele, piano and organ.
After retiring in 1999, she returned to her hometown of Litchfield, where she continued to bring joy to others through her music, performing regularly at local nursing homes, community events, and church services. She was very involved in the community through organizations like the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), the GAR Hall/Meeker County Historical Society, and the Opera House Association. She was an advocate for the senior population, and wrote many articles and letters to the editor and served on advisory committees for the Wellness/Recreation Center and the Downtown Litchfield Committee. At the age of 80, she received the Meeker County Senior Citizen of the Year award. No memorial service has been planned, as of yet, for Jeanie Doran.
Jerome Reckdahl was also a past recipient of the Meeker County Senior Citizen of the year award. He was a long-time math teacher at Grove City High School and – later – at Ridgewater College. Reckdahl was also a long-time mayor of Grove City. He and his wife, Joan, were very active members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Grove City before moving to Hutchinson in later years. He passed away at the age of 89 at Riley Crossing Assisted Living in Chanhassen on November 2nd. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., with visitation at 10 a.m. and lunch afterward, on Saturday, November 23rd, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Grove City.
