World traveler finds home at Kingsway
Kingsway resident Dorothy Renn, or “Dory” as she prefers to be called, considers herself a “Minnesota transplant.” She has lived in Kentucky, New York, and even Paris, France.
Four years ago, she found her most recent home here at Kingsway Retirement Living in Belle Plaine. She’s grateful she did.
“The team here is just so friendly. There’s always someone around to help you when you need it,” Dory explains.
But how did Dory find her way from the Eiffel Tower to Kingsway?
Dory was born and raised in Louisville, Ky. (pronounced “loo-vill” by locals). She attended undergraduate school at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. She soon transferred to the University of Louisville so that she could help take care of her father, who had fallen ill. There, she earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology. The idea of helping people motivated Dory to choose psychology as her focus of study.
“I wanted to heal people who are screwed up and try to fix them,” says Dory.
Her decision to pursue her college degree was bold in an era when few women attended college. She was also part of one of the first generations of women to drive a car.
It was during a Friday night driving cruise with friends that she met her future husband, Dean, a G.I. from Minnesota. He was stationed at Fort Knox during the Vietnam War era. When Dory was accepted to a graduate program at the State University of New York (SUNY), she invited Dean to go with her.
At that time, it was uncommon for women to attend college, especially graduate school. Dory and Dean packed up their things and headed east to make their life in New York.
Dory earned her Ph.D. in psychology, then started looking for career opportunities. She was offered a job as a professor of Psychology at St. Cloud State College (now St. Cloud State University). She looked forward to moving to “the land of 10,000 lakes,” which was also “the land of snow, but you can play in it,” as Dory’s husband reassured her.
Dory was also attracted to Minnesota by the Mississippi River, which reminded her of the Ohio River that flowed through her hometown of Louisville. Dory accepted the position and they moved to Minnesota.
Dory taught college-level psychology courses for 35 years, both inside and outside of the classroom. During that time, she was awarded “Teacher of the Year” at St. Cloud State. One of the most memorable moments of her career was teaching classes to people who were incarcerated at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud, a maximum-security state prison. “I think I learned more from them than they did from me,” she reflects.
Although she loved teaching, she had always felt called to be a therapist. She opened her own private practice in St. Cloud and saw patients for 17 years while continuing to teach. Dory loved seeing her patients make a “turn-around” and progress in their healing.
After Dory’s husband passed away and she was reaching the end of her career, Dory felt a yearning to try something new and different. Moving to France seemed like the perfect answer. She was inspired by her mother’s half-French heritage and her own knowledge of the French language, which she had gained from her high school classes. She also wanted to explore a passion that had been passed down to her from her mother—French fashion. She lived in France for a total of 11 years, spending winters abroad and summers in Minnesota. While in Paris, Dory marveled at the unique fashion and culture that surrounded her. “I wasn’t interested in the big, popular fashion shows. I preferred to seek out the more underground fashion scene,” Dory clarifies.
Another of her favorite aspects of living in France was the cuisine. She made a point to dine at a local restaurant every day. When she thinks back on her fondest memories from her winters in France, Dory immediately recalls the pastries and the fresh fruit. She also learned to speak French and recalls local citizens being surprised that she could speak the language.
“I probably didn’t speak that well, but I tried to be as close to perfect as possible!” admits Dory. “Once [the local French people] realized that I was trying to learn their language, they treated me a lot nicer.”
Dory has a son, a daughter, and a grandson who all live in the Twin Cities. She still enjoys driving around town and eating out for lunch, but now it is on a local scale, with her kids and grandkids by her side.
Kingsway is currently welcoming new residents. To learn more or schedule a tour today,
contact Alexa at 952-873-5900 or info@tlha.org.