Dorothy Lee Horning

HORNING, Dorothy Lee - Age 91, of Fenton, passed away Tuesday, October 15, 2024. Funeral services will be held 11:00 AM Saturday, October 19, 2024 at Tyrone Covenant Presbyterian Church (where she has been a member for 20 years) , 10235 White Lake Road, Fenton. Luncheon to follow the service. Pastor Lawrence Bowlin officiating. Burial 12:30 PM Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at Great Lakes National Cemetery, Holly. Visitation will be held at Sharp Funeral Homes, Fenton Chapel, 1000 Silver Lake Road, Fenton Friday from 4-8 PM; and at church Saturday from 10 AM until the time of the service. Those desiring may make contributions to Tyrone Covenant Presbyterian Church Building Fund, Wycliffe Bible Translators or J.A.A.R.S.

Dorothy will be remembered as a Godly woman whose faith guided her life.  She lived what she believed.  Readily making  friends with her easy smile, Dorothy was warmly hospitable.   She welcomed people  into their home with grace, whether for a meal, a Bible study or a place to live.  The door was open.

Continuing until the end, Dorothy was a great connector. Becoming proficient with challenging technology, she took up texting as a means of drawing family and friends into conversation, showing her care and interest in their lives.

If Dorothy were a blanket, she would have had a warp and weft of linen. Strong and capable, but maybe a little scratchy. After thousands of washings and spinnings and wringings brought on by life, those fibers became more and more supple and pliant. The colors faded into a soft beauty, a blanket reached for in a search for comfort.

One shining thread woven throughout Dorothy’s life was her passion for missions.  It began with her work at Missionary Internship in the 60’s and continuing with Walt and Dorothy committing twenty years of their lives to Wycliffe Bible Translators.  Dorothy thrived with the challenges of supporting the pilots as they trained to fly missionary linguists into difficult jungle terrain. There, the linguists would spend years capturing the spoken languages of remote communities, enabling them to read the Bible in their own tongue.

 In later years, it brought Dorothy great joy to continue sharing.  She knit multitudes of lovely baby blankets, and packed hundreds of Samaritan's Purse shoe box gifts for children of all nations.  She never stopped giving of her diminishing finances to God’s work throughout the globe, regularly contributing to missions she and Walt treasured.

As a lover of music, another long thread in Dorothy's well lived life was her praise of God through music, both singing and playing the piano.  Often heard humming or singing a hymn, she was a member of a trio that regularly sang at Strathmore Judson Memorial Baptist Church.  Throughout her life she sang in many church choirs and often supported the music programs as a pianist, sometimes even venturing to community choirs.  Dorothy’s love of music is shared by many of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, singing and playing instruments to God’s glory.

Surrounding herself with the vivid colors of bright flowers, art, and lively hued clothing, Dorothy may have been at her best as she designed and quilted a masterpiece for each of her grandchildren upon their high school graduation. With each stitch she poured in her prayers and blessings to send them on their journeys to adulthood.

Dorothy and Walt walked side by side for 60 years. Evident throughout was their love of God. With the challenges of raising 5 children, they prayed together daily. Seeking God’s wisdom they learned to both lean on each other and compromise. They will together be remembered for their unwavering faith. 

Surviving are: her children, David (Jane) Horning of Leadville, CO, Gary (Mary) Horning of Linden, Deborah (Rick) Louisignau of Redford, Rebecca (Robert) Kern of Washington State and Sharon Horning of Denver, CO; 13 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren; sister-in-law, Doris Bates of Grand Rapids; and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Hazel Bates; husband, Walter John Horning; brother, Richard Bates; brother-in-law, George Horning. Tributes may be shared at www.sharfuneralhomes.com.