Dorene Ann (Chalfan) VanHorn Hitchens, 84, of Atchison, KS, passed away Tuesday, September 25, 2018 at the Atchison Hospital.

Funeral service will be 1:00 PM, Saturday, September 29, 2018 at the Becker-Dyer-Stanton Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Sugar Creek Cemetery, Rushville, MO. The family will receive friends 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Friday, September 28, 2018 at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the Atchison Humane Society and may be left in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be left at www.beckerdyer.com.

Dorene was born May 16, 1934 in Leavenworth, KS and was raised in DeKalb, MO, the daughter of W E and Martha Ann (Calloway) Chalfan. She was a Certified Nurses Aid at Cray Manor at the Atchison Hospital. Dorene was a member of the Presbyterian Church and the VFW Ladies Auxiliary. She was a hard working, fun loving, quick with a smile, strong willed survivor, who loved her family and being with her family. Dorene enjoyed traveling with her late husband Moe in their RV, going to the casinos, playing bingo and winning. She enjoyed her flowers and feeding all the neighborhood cats and dogs.

Dorene married Samuel William VanHorn, as a military wife she traveled with him and raised their children, they later divorced and she then married Hubert (Moe) Hitchens on October 31, 1975 in Rushville, MO, he preceded her in death in August 3, 2005. Survivors include her son Samuel and Mary VanHorn, Jr., Atchison, KS, a daughter, Julie and Dave Frieze, Kansas City, KS, step-daughters, Pauline (Arby) Flesch, Colorado, Eileen (Rich) Roth, Atchison, KS, Eugenie (Kenneth) Drake, Wathena, KS, and Julie Hitchens, Oklahoma and eleven grandchildren, and sixteen great grandchildren.

She was also preceded in death by her parents and a daughter, Mary Ann Pohl, a step-son, Mike Hitchens, two brothers, Dale and Jimmy Chalfan, a sister Lavetta Bonnett, and a nephew, Monty Bonnett.