Lorna Mae Dultmeier, 79, of Stuart, Florida, passed away peacefully September 13, 2015, in the care of Treasure Coast Hospice. Lorna died from a stroke after a four-year struggle with Alzheimer's disease.

Anyone who knew Lorna was familiar with her beautiful smile, strength in the face of adversity and her fun, adventurous nature.

Born November 8, 1935, in a log cabin in a "holler" near Exeter, Missouri, to Viola Mae (Sands) Brooner and Evart Allen Brooner, she had two brothers, Roy and Earl, and a sister Norma. All preceded her in death.

During her childhood, the family moved to Western Kansas and lived in Cimarron, Dodge City and Bloom. Lorna worked as a waitress in her teen years at a caf in the area, where she met her future husband, Galen Aloysius Dultmeier. Galen was a surveyor for the State of Kansas and was working in the area. After they met, Lorna moved to Denver, Colorado, waitressing and attending beauty school. She also did some modeling, winning awards.

Lorna and Galen married in April 1957 in Golden, Colorado, during the time that Galen attended the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. During their marriage, they were stationed at several different Air Force bases, including Forbes AFB in Topeka, Kansas and Warner Robbins AFB in Georgia. Lorna worked as a hairdresser during the early years and had four children, Kevin, Kirk, Alex and Diane. Galen was a career Air Force pilot and rose to the rank of major with the Strategic Air Command. Lorna would take the kids to visit him at the bunker when he was on call.

The family moved to Bunker Hill AFB, and Galen flew B-58 Hustlers, dying in November 1967 during a training flight. With the help of Galen's brothers and sisters, Lorna moved the family to Seneca, Kansas, living with Galen's parents, Barbara Catherine and August John "Gus" Dultmeier for six months while a new home was being built in Silver Lake, Kansas, by Galen's brothers, who were home builders.

During her years in Silver Lake, Lorna raised her four children and was an extraordinary homemaker, well-known for her excellent cooking. She also did volunteer work and belonged to the Women of the Moose and Gold Star Wives. She spent many weekend evenings dancing, as she was a talented and avid ballroom dancer. All through the years she had a beautiful yard and a very large and productive garden. As the children got older, she worked part time as a writer/photographer for a weekly newspaper "The St. Mary's Star."

Many holidays were spent with the Dultmeier family, and they enjoyed camping and vacations to places like Colorado and The Ozarks, with Lorna driving the family's station wagon pulling a travel trailer.

Lorna lived in Silver Lake until around 1985, when she moved to Topeka. At that time she earned her real estate license and worked in the field for about 10 years in and around Topeka. She also became a Master Gardener with the Shawnee County Extension Office and volunteered many hours. In fact, she completely transformed her Topeka yard into a beautiful award-winning garden. Her yard was featured in the 1997 Topeka Garden Tour, and an article was written about it in the "Topeka Capital-Journal."

Starting around 1986, Lorna began to travel, first to Europe and then to many more places, including England, New Zealand, Greece and Italy. She also visited Hawaii, Alaska and many other spots around the United States. She travelled with her children, other family members and friends.

After her daughter Diane moved to Florida in 1991, Lorna visited every year for Christmas staying for several months. Upon her diagnosis with Alzheimer's in January 2011, she permanently moved to Florida to be closer to Diane and her family.

She is survived by her son, Kirk Dultmeier and his wife Beverly, of Topeka, Kansas, and their five adult children, Jason, Josh, Amanda, Mallory and Robert, plus their eleven grandchildren; son, Alex Dultmeier and his daughter Alejandra Dultmeier, 19, both of Houston, Texas; daughter Diane Dultmeier Ballinger of Stuart, Florida, and her husband Mike plus their children Daniel, 14, and Andrew, 11.

Her son, Kevin, who died in a 1976 car accident, preceded Lorna in death.

A celebration of Lorna's life is planned for Spring 2016 in Topeka, Kansas, in or near a beautiful garden.

Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, which helped Lorna and Diane in a very personal way.

Alzheimer's Association SEFC (Southeast Florida Chapter)
3333 Forest Hill Blvd.
West Palm Beach FL 33406
(561) 967-0047

Please indicate that your donation is in memory of Lorna Dultmeier.

"For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come."

--Song of Solomon 2:11-12

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