Doris B. Hitchen

Doris B. Hitchen, 84, Moorhead, MN, died peacefully at home with her loving family on May 31, 2014.
Doris Artamenko was born on March 20, 1930, in Fargo, ND, to Michael and Meta Lemke Artamenko. She grew up and attended school in Fargo.
Doris married William Bud Hitchen on July 4, 1947, and they traveled the world while he served in the U.S. Army. Following his service, they returned to Fargo for a brief time before moving to Crookston, MN. In 1971 they moved to Moorhead where they lived since. Doris was a homemaker for many years and later worked at Eventide for seventeen years.
Doris loved the Minnesota Twins, gardening, music, camping and family, including planning menus for them. Doris had a love of the lord and enjoyed singing hymns, she was often heard humming or singing while cooking and doing laundry. Doris was a wonderful confidant providing a lot of love and support to her children and grandchildren. She always greeted you with a smile, coffee and a treat. When Doris was relaxing you could find her watching Everybody Loves Raymond, the Golden Girls or her soap operas. She had quite the sense of humor and loved to make other’s laugh, she had an infectious laugh which brought joy to everyone around her.
She is and always will be the heart of our family and we will always remember the sparkle in her eyes and her beautiful smile.
William died on December 20, 2011 and they are now joined together in the house of the lord where they can continue their journey together and watch over their loved ones.
We will love you forever and thank you for all of the lessons that you have blessed us with.
The family would like to personally thank the staff of Hospice of the Red River Valley for all of their great work making Doris’s last months at home comfortable and enjoyable. We would especially like to personally thank Laurel and Peg for all of the love, compassion and joy you brought to her, she truly looked forward to each and every visit.
Doris is survived by her son, Mike Loretta Hitchen, Fertile, MN; daughters Doris Pankonin, East Grand Forks, MN, Linda Tom Kempel, Barnesville, MN, Cindy Al Neisen, Moorhead, MN, Mary Faus, Moorhead, MN, Lori Ron Bellemare, Moorhead, MN, Jodi Lein Bert Kvamme, Dilworth, MN; nineteen grandchildren Chad, Stacy, Matthew, Bill, Wayne, Katie, Karla, Jamie, Joey, Lisa, Michelle, Mike, Christina, Brian, Aron, Brenna, Casey, Jenny and Jason; twenty-nine sweet great-grandchildren; brothers Jack Dixie Artamenko, Colorado Springs, CO, Sam Polly Artamenko, Granby, Missouri; sisters Patsy Jansen, Minneapolis, MN, Gail Jack Sjurseth, Coon Rapids, MN.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brothers Robert and William Artamenko, sisters Nancy Jansen and Joyce Morris, son-in-law Rick Born.
Visitation: Wednesday, June 4, 2014, from 5:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M., with a prayer service at 7:00 P.M. in Wright Funeral Home, Moorhead, MN.
Funeral: Thursday, June 5, 2014, at 1:30 P.M. in Trinity Lutheran Church, Moorhead, with visitation one hour before.
Interment: Riverside Cemetery, Fargo, ND.