Dorsey A. DeTienne

Dorsey Alice DeTienne

The heavens opened joyful chorus as Dorsey DeTienne passed from this Earth, on July 6th, 2026, at the age of 103. Yes one-hundred and three. Her Celebration of Life will be at Baue Funeral Home at 3950 W. Clay in St. Charles, MO 63301, with Visitation Monday evening, July 13th from 4:00 to 8:00pm, then the Celebration Service Tuesday morning at 9:30am. A short graveside service will follow on the nearby grounds.

Dorsey Alexander grew up in a church home in Ash Grove, taught Sunday school, and was a church Secretary twice – the first in her early adulthood at the First Baptist Church in Springfield, MO. She was a student of Bible and Christian studies throughout her life, taught Sunday school, lead Vacation Bible School, and more. She knew her Bible forward and backward.

Dorsey sang soprano in every choir she could, through her schooling, in church, the St. Charles Choral Society, and “had the privilege of singing in the Billy Graham Crusade Choir in St. Louis in 1999! She could play piano by ear.

Talented artist, Dorsey charcoal and/or pencil sketched visiting pastors, the family dog, her husband Howard and daughter Reneta. She added visualization to her Sunday school lessons with chalk talks.

Dorsey’s skills also excelled in writing, including a “Pageant” which she wrote and directed for First Baptist Church.

Dorsey was proud of her career. She had obtained an Associate’s Degree from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar Missouri. As her last child with Howard became school age she began work as a substitute teacher. She also worked the switchboard at Sterling Aluminum in St. Charles, Secretary at Ridgecrest Baptist Church, Medical Records Specialist at Booneslick Medical Group, then Medical Staff Secretary at St. Joseph Hospital in St. Charles. Dorsey was active in the Business and Professional Women’s Organization. Her accuracy typing skills were in the 90s!

This fabulous lady was also quite humorous. Her kids often felt like they grew up with “I Love Lucy” as their Mom. She playfully listened to music and showed off her high kicks. The kids knew life would go on after their Dad, her husband Howard, passed, when at lunch at a restaurant Dorsey blew the paper off her straw into their faces. Later in life the kids were over for a meal, enjoyed the lovely flower arrangement on the table, only for Dorsey to yank out the flowers, dig in with a spoon, and serve an ‘edible dirt’ Oreo topped dessert! The First Baptist Church group traveling as tourists commented on Dorsey standing in the bus aisle telling jokes each trip. During her last few years, with dementia, she continued her sense of humor – when asked “How do you feel today?” she would feel her hand up and down her other arm and announce “I feel pretty good!” then just laugh! After Happy Birthday was sung to her for her 103rd birthday, she added a solo of “and many more!” She and her son-in-law John had a running joke of “I love you this much” and display with finger margins – Dorsey loved to outdo John in some surprising gesture. She loved to laugh.

Our family doggies were her children and grandchildren and treated as such. Later in life Dorsey told the story of her Dad’s horse, Dan, who she rode bareback to the fields in front of her Dad’s truck. Her Dad would let her give Dan a piece of hard candy, just one. “I loved Dan and he loved me.” She also loved Ken’s parakeets who would jump down from their perch and follow her into the kitchen. Dorsey would lovingly hold John and Kathy’s lizards while they cleaned cages. During Dorsey’s 100th year we took her to visit a horse and she loved it. For her 102nd birthday Mom’s resort arranged with ARC of the Ozarks for Mom to pet some beautiful snakes. We surprised her on her 103rd birthday with a visit of Alpacas! She loved God’s creatures.

Dorsey was feminine and beautiful, loved her pretty clothes, hair done nicely, necklaces and bracelets all the way to her last day.

Dorsey was born Dorsey Alice Alexander on April 18, 1923. She grew up during the depression with 11 siblings, her Mom and Dad, and her Dad’s 2 blind parents, all in a 2 room house in Ash Grove, Missouri. This tiny house was without indoor plumbing, heated with a wood stove in the front room and a wood-burning cook stove in the kitchen. At Christmas her Mom would sew each of the boys a shirt and each girl a dress. Local charities gave them a basket of food to add to their “feast.” The family gathered around the piano singing Christmas carols while sister played and their Dad played the fiddle. Dorsey loved three husbands, Rene Mullenix with whom she had Reneta, and then Howard Magruder with whom she had the last three kids. Howard died way too early in life at age 50. Later, Dorsey and Ken DeTienne found each other, enjoyed Deacon responsibilities together and swing dance. Sadly he also died way too early in life. She never married again. Dementia gave Mom one beautiful gift, she gradually forgot all the horrific pain and knowledge of any of these loved ones’ deaths – a God-performed miracle for which we were all grateful. She literally lived “happily ever after.”

Dorsey is survived by her two daughters Nancy Alice Magruder and Kathy Gwen Magruder Miller and her husband John Miller who took care of Dorsey with love and humor as if she were his own Mom; Reneta’s daughters Teresa Davis Ripley and Vicky Davis Wu; Gary’s son Scott Christopher Hudson, Teresa’s children Sean and his wife Corrine Ripley, Megan Ripley, and Ethan Ripley; Vicky’s boys Charlie Evans, with his wife Sara, and their children Jackson and Chloe Evans; Anthony Evans with his wife Gieziane and their children Mary and John Evans; Timothy Penn; Tyler and his wife Lizeth Evans, and Trevor Penn.

Dorsey is preceded in death by her children Reneta Magruder Davis and Gary Howard Magruder who died during COVID of bladder cancer, her husbands Rene Mullenix, Howard Magruder, and Kenneth DeTienne, and her siblings William Alexander, Alda Coble, Wynona Haines, Glenn Alexander, Georgia Fortner, Eva McGee, Mary Porter, and June Northinton.

To those who loved her, Dorsey – Mom, Grandma, Great Grandma, Great-Great, “resort resident”, and church friend, she will be direly missed, but we know the heavens are celebrating with her.

A donation to First Baptist Church of St. Charles would be greatly appreciated. You can easily make your donation by texting GIVE to (636) 220-5070. This will prompt you to set up your donation.