Dorene Claassen
Dorene Classen was a loving wife and mother and a woman of faith who enjoyed times with both her family and her church-family.
Dorene Sue (Flaming) Claassen, 77, passed away Oct. 5, 2025, in Moses Lake, Wash. She was born June 20, 1948, in Goessel, Kans., the oldest child of Theodore B. and Frieda (Schmidt) Flaming.
Dorene was raised on the family farm near Goessel. She graduated from Goessel High School in 1966. As a teen, she was baptized and became a member of Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, Goessel. Dorene attended Bethel College, Kans., earning an associate degree. At Bethel, she met the love of her life, Eugene (Gene) Claassen. Gene and Dorene married Dec. 23, 1968, in Goessel. They were married for 54 years until Gene's death in 2023.
Following college, Dorene and Gene served two years in Colombia, South America, through the Mennonite Church. They then settled on the family farm near Marlin, Wash., and she joined Menno Mennonite Church. Dorene focused her life on the care and nurturing of others, including her family and community, as she volunteered in the Odessa School District, Church Mission Society and the Mennonite Country Auction.
As her sons grew older, Dorene joined the Little Caesars Pizza staff inside K-Mart upon its opening in 1992, and continued working there until K-Mart closed in 2003. She enjoyed caring for her teenage coworkers and other staff.
Dorene lived her faith in God with her favorite verse, Matthew 17:20, about having faith the size of a mustard seed with nothing impossible in God's love. She quietly "planted seeds" of love and caring for those around her. Although her final 15 years were limited by her Parkinson's diagnosis, she continued to plant seeds of love through notes, small projects and fellowship in a local Parkinson's organization as well as her church.
Dorene is survived by her two sons and their families: Doug (Melissa) of Moses Lake and Michael (Staci) of Marlin. She adored her four grandchildren: Andrew, Zachary, Leah and Benjamin. She is also survived by her two brothers: Clyde Flaming (Jane) of Wichita, Kans., and Dwight Flaming (Marilyn) of Hillsboro, Kans.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene (Gene) Claassen, her parents, Theodore B. and Frieda Flaming, and her infant sister, Dee Lane.
An 11 a.m. memorial service will be held Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, at Menno Mennonite Church, Ritzville, Wash. Memorial gifts can be made to Menno Mennonite Church's Memorial Fund, 1378 N. Damon Road, Ritzville, WA 99169, or Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), 3003 Benham Ave., Elkhart, IN 46517.