Dorothy A. Cavener

PAUL – Dorothy Agnes (Nielsen) Cavener, age 94, passed peacefully from this life on September 9, 2026, at Autumn Haven Assisted Living in Rupert.

She was born November 19, 1931, in Grenora, North Dakota, to Victor E. and Agnes S. (Hogie) Nielsen. She was baptized on December 25, 1931, at Daneville Lutheran Church, a country church near Westby, Montana. In January 1933, when Dorothy was just 14 months old, her mother passed away and she then went to live with her Uncle Soren and Aunt Alice Nelson on their farm near Sidney, Montana. She graduated from Sidney High School in 1949. She then attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, graduating in 1953. She taught high school English in Bainville, Montana, for one year before she married Harold Cavener on June 27, 1954, at Pella Lutheran Church in Sidney. Dorothy first met Harold the summer of 1951 while visiting her father, Victor, in Anchorage, Alaska.

After they were married, Harold and Dorothy drove from Sidney, Montana, to Anchorage, Alaska, where they lived until September 1956. They then once again packed their belongings when Harold was awarded a homestead in Idaho by "the luck of the draw" on the new irrigation project developed by the Bureau of Reclamation, making farm units available for veterans. The farm they selected was located 11 miles north of Paul where they lived until they moved into Paul in 2016. Harold died in 2017.

Dorothy was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Rupert for nearly 70 years. She was famous for her homemade potato rolls which found their delicious way to countless events, including many weddings and funerals. She had a love of ancestry in which her amazing memory served her well, and she was informally known as the family historian. She will be remembered for her love of books, especially for the hundreds of children's books that she distributed over the years to kids from many different backgrounds. She had a soft spot for all animals, especially farm cats. In addition to helping raise animals and crops on the family farm, she grew many beautiful flowers and vegetables as well. Over the years, she also “grew” an impressive rock garden, built from rocks collected from anywhere and everywhere that she and Harold traveled.

Dorothy is survived by her son, Alan (Jo-Lynne) Cavener of Nampa; her daughter, Marielle (Alan) Westphal of Nampa; her grandchildren, Lucas (Adrean) Cavener, Levi Cavener, Evan Westphal and Nicole Westphal; two great-grandsons, Gunner Cavener and Lincoln Cavener; and her sister, Mary (Ken) Parker of Grants Pass, Oregon. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Lorraine; her husband, Harold; and her brother, Vernon Nielsen.

The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, September 19, at Trinity Lutheran Church, located at 909 8th St., in Rupert, where a viewing will be held from 10 until 10:45 a.m. prior to the service at the church. Officiating will be the Reverend Steve Barckholtz. Burial will follow at the Paul Cemetery.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Hansen Mortuary of Rupert.