Dorothy W. Payne, 91, of Dearborn completed her life journey, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 and entered the sacred silence from which she was born May 6, 1920. She was the daughter of the late Elmer C. and Lillian (Dasher) Wiegert. She was raised on her maternal grandparent's farm for a couple of years, where her first language was German, then in Detroit, where her second language was Italian. When she began attending public school, she picked up English as her third language. After graduation from Dearborn High School in 1938, she briefly attended Art School, worked at Greenfield Village, and designed clothes for manufacturers. She was married to Joseph E. Slater Jr. in 1942 and was divorced from him in 1961. She was a homemaker-mom for 20 years before working for the U.S. Postal Service in Dearborn and Detroit for 18 years and then retiring to serve as live-in nanny for her youngest granddaughter. She was a talented musician, playing piano and string bass. Her passion was listening to classical music and opera. As an artist she painted many oil and watercolor scenes, made hand crafted note cards, and for several years produced award-winning leather-tooled items. She was a choral singer in church, knitted, and sewed many of her own and children's clothes. She was also a skilled cook and cake decorator. She loved and befriended children wherever she went and worked in the church nursery. She was fond of travel and spent many vacations on the Lake Superior and Lake Huron shores with family. She especially cherished her 1987 visit to Germany with a church group and seeing ancestral homelands in the Bavarian Alps. She knew no strangers and struck up conversations wherever and with whoever she was. Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, brother Henry C. (Bud) Wiegert, son Paul K. Slater, nephew Alan Riley, and second husband Paul F. Payne. She is survived by her sister Janet (Fred) Riley, sister-in-law Doris Wiegert, son Harold (Karen) Slater, daughter Nicole (Raymond) Weiss, grandson Chief Warrant Officer Jason E. (Kelly) Slater, granddaughters Kirsten (Matthew) Smith, Kara Anne (Jeremy) Fleminger, Adrienne Weiss, six great grandchildren, two nephews, and one niece. Funeral Service will take place at 11:00 am Friday, November 11, 2011, from the Howe-Peterson Funeral Home, 22546 Michigan, Dearborn, Michigan 48124. Pastor Marti Tamaroglio will officiate with internment in the Parkview Cemetery, 5 mile Road, Livonia. Dorothy's family will receive friends at the Howe-Peterson Funeral Home Thursday from 1-5pm and 7-9pm. In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy are invited to consider the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 1570 Mason at Monroe, Dearborn, Michigan 48125.