Dorothy Trautman, age 89, passed away peacefully at Northwoods Village on Friday, November 14, 2025. Born on January 15, 1936, she was the daughter of Richard and Francis (Masten) Clippinger. Dorothy lived a life defined by love, service, and faith. She was a devoted wife, a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother. Her heart overflowed with affection not only for her own family but for any child who was fortunate enough to cross her path. Raised in the Mattawan area, Dorothy worked several jobs throughout her early years, including at the TB Sanitarium, before beginning her longtime role as a waitress at Tarnow Dairy. It was there that she met the love of her life, Ralph Trautman, with whom she shared a lifetime of faith and devotion. Dorothy and Ralph were early members of Northeastern Baptist Church, faithfully attending and serving throughout their lives. Dorothy’s service to the church was particularly evident in the nursery, where she lovingly cared for infants for nearly 30 years. Alongside her dearest friend, Dorothy Van Dyke, she saved every spare dollar to purchase hundreds of Bibles, each one engraved with the name of a newborn they had cared for. Her love for children extended far beyond the church walls. Dorothy went door to door in the Parchment, Washington Square, and Eastwood neighborhoods, asking families if their children might ride the church bus on Sundays so they could hear the gospel and be part of a loving community. Dorothy also had a passionate heart for the unborn. She was a strong supporter of Alternatives of Kalamazoo, faithfully gathering donations each year for their annual walkathon and contributing to table sales for their Annual Fundraising Conference. Music brought Dorothy immense joy, and she shared that joy as a longtime member of the Northeastern choir from its founding. Dorothy is preceded in passing by her beloved husband Ralph and their sons Gary (Dixie) and Daniel (Russann). She is survived by her daughter Rhonda Brinkert, her son Jonathan (Susan) Trautman, and her 14 grandchildren: Eric (Ella) Sutton, Tiffany Trautman, Shawn (Rebecca) Trautman, Samantha Henderson, Meredith Krugh (Jon), Nathan Oleksyn, Robert Brinkert (Jennifer), Erin Brinkert, Ruth Brinkert, Sarah Trautman, Zachary Trautman, Jocelyn (Joe) Stevens, Ian (Sarah) Trautman, and Justin (Sarah) Trautman. She also leaves behind her 16 great-grandchildren: Brylee, Dominic, Quentin, Ty, Bobby (Lexi), Jasmine, Matilda, Johnathan, Liam, Israel, Jordan, Kristian, Christopher, Bentley, Cooper, and Emma; as well as her great-great-grandchild: Aurora. Dorothy’s life was a shining testament to kindness, compassion, and unwavering faith. Her legacy lives on in the countless lives she touched—through her family, her church, her community, and every child she lovingly embraced. Her family has immense joy and peace knowing she is in the presence of her Lord and Savior and that she is finally at rest alongside her husband and other cherished family members. With heartfelt gratitude, we thank everyone for the many expressions of sympathy with cards, calls and prayers. We are eternally grateful for the care that was given Dorothy while staying at Northwoods. Their kindness, gentleness and empathy were and are valued more than we can express.