Doortje Werner

With faith in the risen Lord, Doortje Hanriette Werner entered into His loving presence on May 30, 2023, mercifully ending her 3-month battle with cancer. She passed from earthly life peacefully, with her husband Chuck praying at her side. Doortje was born on July 19, 1951 in Apeldoorn, Netherlands to Willem and Geraldine Rumemper, followed by three siblings, Hendrik, Patricia, and Michael. The Rumemper family immigrated to the United States in 1960, settling in Southern California. Willem and Geraldine were loving parents who modeled parental love and sacrifice to their children. Doortje grew into a woman who loved family and helping others, but had a nagging feeling that something was missing in her life. While attending college, Doortje met Charles "Chuck" Werner. During their courtship she and Chuck attended Mass together. Realizing that her relationship with God was the "missing" element that she had felt, she entered faith formation. Doortje was baptized into the Catholic Church at Easter Vigil in 1974. She and Chuck received the sacrament of Holy Matrimony on June 1, 1974 and with the grace of God began their vocations as wife and husband. The marriage was blessed with four children, James, Carolyn, John, and Julia, and ultimately nine grandchildren. Doortje and Chuck embraced the grace of complementarity that God pours out upon those He joins together. Devoted to faith, family, and service to others, they contributed their unique skills, abilities, and knowledge to the challenges of educating and nurturing the children, maintaining and managing the household, and trying each day to live according to God's will. Doortje was blessed with a loving, caring, empathetic personality that allowed her to make people feel safe and comfortable around her. She always tried to be a face of God to those she met. Doortje volunteered in the library of the parish school and began a love affair with books and sharing the joys of reading with others that continued throughout her life. An excellent cook, her culinary efforts brought joy and nourishment to all. Her specialties included all manner of Dutch-Indonesian foods, many kinds of cakes, pies, cookies and candies; and even the traditional "Werner family recipe" potato salad and roast pork with dumplings and sweet sauerkraut. Although she was raised in the city, Doortje was a "country girl" at heart. She loved family camping trips seeking the beauties of creation in the less-traveled rural locales. Whenever she got to a new location, the first order of business was to find the Catholic church in town and learn the Mass times. She always reminded the family, "God doesn't take a vacation from you - You don't ever get to take a vacation from God." She loved the small intimate churches and the parishioners that she met, hoping that someday she would belong to such a community. In 2001, after the children had grown up and Chuck retired, Doortje and Chuck moved to Siskiyou County, settling in the Horse Creek area. Doortje found All Saints Church in Happy Camp and she knew God had led her home. Doortje and Chuck became active at All Saints and its parent parish, Sacred Heart in Fort Jones. Chuck discerned God's call to become a deacon in the church. This required both Doortje's approval and her active participation in diaconate formation, including attending the classes and completing the assignments alongside Chuck. Doortje embraced and treasured her vocation of "deacon wife," pouring out her many complimentary qualities to strengthen and support Chuck's ministry and to encourage and assist others whom God placed into her path on their faith journeys.A vigil will be held for Doortje on Monday evening, July 3 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Yreka. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow on Wednesday, July 5 at 11:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Fort Jones, with interment to follow at Fort Jones Catholic Cemetery.

Doortje Werner

July 19, 1951 - May 30, 2023