Dorothy Galyen

Funeral Mass for Dorothy Galyen, 88, of Dickinson will be 10:00 a.m., Saturday, July 6, 2013 at Queen of Peace Catholic Church with Father Shannon Lucht celebrating. Burial will take place in Oakdale Cemetery, Killdeer.


Visitation for Dorothy will be from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Friday, July 5, 2013 at Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson.


Visitation will continue from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Queen of Peace Catholic Church with a Prayer Service being held at 7:00 p.m.


Dorothy passed away Sunday, June 30, 2013 at St. Alexius Medical Center in Bismarck, ND.


Dorothy Rice was born February 25, 1925 to Louis F. Rice and Monica (Hecker) Rice. She and her brother Walt Rice, grew up on the family farm 25 miles northeast of Dickinson. Dorothy attended Iota School No. 1 which was only a mile from her home. Even during the summer months she would run to this school and read and read every book in the library. Because of bad roads and no school buses she boarded all four years of high school, graduating from Killdeer High School in 1943. She remembers being so homesick that one time she walked cross country 12 miles just to see her parents for the weekend. After teaching 25 years with just a teaching certificate, barely older than her students, she then attended Dickinson State College getting her life certificate in 1960. In 1946, Dorothy married the love of her life, her high school sweetheart, Delmont Galyen. They shared 54 years and 10 months of married bliss. They were blessed with one son, Scott Galyen, who died too young at age 49. They shared the ups and downs of farming, flying, teaching and the very rich day to day life of family and friends. Her love of education and history inspired her to purchase the Iota School No. 1 when it came up for sale. She moved it to her farmyard and in 1980 restored it and started giving regular tours to the delight of international tourists and visitors from nearly all fifty states and local school children. She displayed in the school all of the memorabilia that made guests feel that they were actually attending school! When she moved from the farm into Dickinson she donated the school to the Dunn County Historical Society and it is now on display in Dunn Center. Dorothy taught for 12 years in country schools including the Iota school and 13 years at Killdeer Elementary School where she dearly loved her fourth graders. After retiring from teaching in 1975 she then had time to serve the public on the Dunn Co. Social Service Board (25 years); Southwest District Health Unit (25 years); and Dunn County Historical Society (12 years). In Dickinson, she was a member of St. Joseph’s Hospital Auxiliary and she served on the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation and St. Joseph’s Hospice Foundation. Throughout her life her Catholic Christian faith sustained her and formed her into a generous and unfailingly kind and non-judgmental woman. Her greatest privilege was to serve as a communion minister at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Dickinson. She and Delmont were also ushers and they were a very welcoming presence to all who entered the church. Delmont died in 1999. After three years of widowhood, in 2002 Dorothy married a widower, Albert Sickler, and his large extended family surrounded Dorothy with love. Both Albert and Dorothy were gifted with good health and amazing energy so they were able to travel to see family and friends across the country. They settled in Dickinson and enjoyed a busy social life together.


Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, Louis and Monica Rice; her first husband, Delmont; their son Scott, her brother and his wife, Walt and Carol Rice; and her niece LeeAnn Gosline.


Dorothy is survived by her niece Andrea (Clarence) Schollmeyer; her nephews, Rick Rice and Monty (Laura) Rice all of Killdeer; and many great nieces and nephews who she loved dearly. She also had many cousins and she enjoyed living across the street from cousin, Jim Rice and his wife Mary. Dorothy is also survived by her new family; husband, Albert Sickler; and his children, Galen (Marcia) Sickler, Terry (Karen) Sickler, Dennis (Betty) Sickler, Sheila (Curt) Lefor; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who embraced her with great love. Dorothy was a daughter of the prairie. She saw beauty and peace everywhere in the countryside. May she rest in peace in the land she loved so much.


Click to View Program (PDF)


Burial Date: July 6, 2013
Funeral Home Dickinson, ND

Funeral Mass: Saturday: Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Dickinson, ND