Doris Lofthus

Nov. 26, 1929 – Nov. 18, 2020

Doris Marie Lofthus

(Tuff) was born on 26

Nov. 1929 at home on her

parents’ farm about 9

miles NW Rugby ND. Her

parents were William

Hamilton Tuff and Eileen

Carl Tuff. William was

active in North Dakota

politics and Eileen’s 27

year diary is in the North

Dakota archives. Doris

was one of 12 siblings and

was the last sibling to

pass away.

After graduating high

school Doris worked as a

telephone operator for one

of the Baby Bells and also

pursued training toward

eventually becoming a Re-

gistered Nurse. She met

her husband Irvin Lofthus

of Redlodge MT while

working as a nurse in the

Redlodge Hospital. They

were married in 1957 &

lived on Irvin’s family

sheep & cattle ranch 15

miles East of Redlodge.

They lost their 2 year old

daughter Martha in 1965

to a tragic farm accident.

In 1971 after selling the

farm, they moved to

Brainerd MN where they

both worked in a nursing

home. They moved back

to Joliet MT in 1973 to

care for Irvin’s newly

widowed mother. Doris

went back to work for the

telephone company and

worked many more years

for them until her retire-

ment.

They were quite active

in the Weslyan Church in

Joliet and Doris was very

supportive of missionary

outreach and political

watchdog organizations.

Doris loved to sing and

had a beautiful soprano

singing voice. One of her

favorite activities as she

became house bound was

singing church hymns

with her care givers.

In 2008 they moved

again to be near their son

Peter in Des Moines IA, as

Irvin was developing

dementia. After her hus-

band Irvin passed away in

2011, Doris often helped

to look after her

grandchildren and greatly

enjoyed them. Early in

2020 she had to give up

living in her apartment

and moved home with

Peter’s family. She en-

dured much physical pain

in her later years but al-

ways maintained her faith

in God and her sense of

humor. She passed away

peacefully at home on 18

Nov. 2020.

She is survived by her

son Peter (Karmela)

Lofthus, daughter Ruth

(Ty) Smith, 4 grandchil-

dren & 3

great-grandchildren. She

is loved and missed.