Dorothy Elizabeth (Zielinski) Birling

Dorothy Elizabeth (Zielinski) Birling, 89, Denmark, was called to Heaven on April 17, 2012, surrounded by her loving family. When Our Lord came looking for another perfect and beautiful angel to be with Him, he knocked on our mother’s door and she went home with him. Dorothy was born March 10, 1923, daughter of the late Joseph and Bernice (Dombrowski) Zielinski in Menasha, WI. She married Orville Howard Birling on September 27, 1945, while he was stationed at Fort Collins, Colorado. They were married 48 years before he passed away in 1993. She was a very religious person who prayed the Rosary daily, her faith was very important to her. She belonged to St. Mary Catholic Church in Glenmore and sang in the church choir for many years. She was a very loving and compassionate person with a great sense of humor. Her family, grandchildren and great-grandchildren meant the world to her and she was always talking about them. Before Alzheimer’s and Macular Degeneration took its toll on her, she enjoyed her many house plants, watching ice skating, the Packers and listening to Polka music. She was always reading the paper and cutting out interesting things to give to her daughters. She also made the best German potato salad ever. Dorothy enjoyed visiting the ladies in her apartment building and showing people she knew how high she could kick her legs up. Mom and Dad would spend Sundays visiting with dad’s brother and family in Black Creek, or taking trips to Menasha to see other family members. They also liked going to church picnics or just driving around stopping for an occasional ice cream cone. Dorothy is survived by three daughters: Judy (Thomas) Micolichek, Sandy (Raymond) Brantmeier and Sherry (Donald) Wagner; six grandchildren: Mark (Joan) Micolichek, Brian (Kelly) Micolichek, Scott (fiancé-Jen Tackes) Brantmeier, Craig (Kelly) Brantmeier, Stacy (Dan) Van Caster, and Cristy (fiancé-Matt Murray) Brantmeier; eleven great-grandchildren: Landon, Riley, Lauren, Ryan, Sean, Tony, Ashley, Andrew, Dalton, Sierra and Noah. Besides her parents she was preceded in death by her husband, Orville; infant son, Steven Michael; grandson, Todd James Micolichek; her brothers: Clarence, Norman and John Zielinski; and many brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law. Family and friends may call Thursday, April 19, 2012 (TODAY) from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Cotter Funeral Home, 860 N. Webster Ave., De Pere, where there will be a Parish Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue on Friday from 9:00 a.m. until the hour of Mass at St. Mary Catholic Church in Glenmore. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:30 a.m. Friday at church, with Fr. Dave Pleier officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Online condolences may be expressed at www.cotterfuneralhome.com. A special thanks to Diane, Jerry and Anna Mae who did so much for mom while she lived in Denmark. Also to all the nurses and staff at Bornemanns for their care and compassion and to her family who did what they could to make her last years happy and comfortable. “We love and miss you very much”