Dorothy McKinnis

Hastings resident Dorothy McKinnis, 95, passed away Sunday, November 10, 2024, at her home. 

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, November 16, at Grace United Methodist Church in Hastings with Rev. Benjamin Hanne officiating. Burial will be at Parkview Cemetery in Hastings. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church. Memorials may be given to Start Over Rover. The service will be live-streamed on Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home’s website. To view the service, go to Dorothy’s obituary and click the play button shown towards the bottom of the page. 

Dorothy was born January 26, 1929, in a farmhouse outside of Emerson, Manitoba, southern Canada to Theodore and Matilda (Remus) Gruenke. She attended a rural one-room schoolhouse and rode her horse to school. She attended high school in Emerson and went on to nursing school at Winnipeg General Hospital and graduated in 1950. She was the charge nurse at a couple of hospitals in southern Manitoba before moving to Ventura, CA where she met the love of her life while working at Ventura General Hospital. She married Lawrence McKinnis on July 7, 1962, and they quickly moved to Puerto Rico for two years where Larry served as a Naval physician at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station. They then moved to Embudo, NM in 1964 where they served as medical missionaries in a small hospital in the mountains of northern New Mexico. They moved to St. Paul, MN in 1967 where Larry undertook more medical training, and finally settled in Hastings, NE in 1970 where they have lived ever since.

Dorothy loved all people and all animals. She fostered several animals and took in many strays. She loved to read, garden, crochet, collect red glass, and travel. She was an active member at Grace United Methodist Church, where she spent many hours volunteering. Her main passion was caring for her family and serving her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents; son, Mark, and brother-in-law, Mike Lang. 

Dorothy leaves behind her loving husband, Larry of Hastings, NE; son, Stephen McKinnis; son, Daniel McKinnis (Mary) of Apache Junction, AZ and their children, Laura, Donnie, Matthew, and Leia; daughter, Deborah Anderson (Kip) of Columbus, NE and their children Kyle and Katie; sister, Alyce Lang; sister-in-law, Barbara Mallon; brother-in-law, Ray McKinnis; as well as many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.