Doris Dorothy Boettcher, age 95, of Auburn, California passed away on Wednesday, January 17, 2024.

Born in Wheatland, Wyoming in 1928 as a middle child of Ruth and George Duerr, Doris arrived in California with her family as a five-year-old during the Great Depression. Doris taught Sunday School at Trinity Lutheran Church in Sacramento, after having been their school's valedictorian. She went on to Sutter Junior High and Sacramento High- Fight, Dragons, Fight! After graduation, she worked at the Franchise Tax Board, where she was honored to represent her agency when Weinstock's Department Store sought state employees to feature as models in their print ads.

An avid skier, Doris fractured her right leg at Sierra Ski Ranch, spending one year in a cast. When a new guy came to church one Sunday and turned all heads, he was only interested in the natural platinum blonde girl on crutches. Arnold Boettcher took her out to lunch at the Nut Tree, and that began their journey of 59 years finding lunch, most recently all over Auburn.

He proposed by asking Doris if she would go all the way to Morocco with him for the job he had just accepted with the General Electric Company. They drove across the United States honeymooning so that she could meet his family in Iowa for the first time. From there, they hopped the transatlantic air route in 1954 and saw much of postwar Europe along the way to Morocco.

Doris worked on the American military base while Arnold managed the GE radar operation for almost four years. They traveled extensively in Africa and Europe before they returned to the States upon accepting a job with GE in Syracuse, New York, expanding their family to include Diane, Irene, and Barbara. The subsequent 30 years of General Electric assignments included living in Pennsylvania and then Vermont, where Arnold retired. Doris told him "For thirty years, I moved for you. I get the last move. We're going to California." Arnold drew a line across the state and said okay to anything north of the line.

Raising her family of three girls, Doris was the fun Mom. She was active in school events and served as the high school softball Team Mom. She prioritized educational opportunities, choosing homes in the best school districts- Go, Seahorses! All three daughters were graduated from colleges in Vermont.

Doris was an American patriot and Christian who lost her eldest brother, George, in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Her high school friends were from varied backgrounds, and she pointedly included her children's' African American classmates in Trick or Treating during a time of racial unrest in the Philadelphia area. She enjoyed hosting international students over the years. Her own Mother sent her weekly letters while she lived in Morocco and she typed newsy letters in all caps to her daughters faithfully after they left the nest.

After Arnold passed away in 2013, Doris was treated like the Queen of Sheba with her court. Initially, Lauren was her substitute lunch companion, then Jan brightened her mornings for five years. In the last months, Irena would sing and pray with her throughout the sleepless nights. Lulu helped greatly on

Fridays. And Lyra the nurse gave her the gift of conversation.

She was predeceased by her parents, her siblings George, Don, Marlyn and Bob and is survived by her sisters sorely miss Mom, but are comforted in knowing that thanks to stellar care, she was ultimately able to stay at home near her caring neighbors.