Isabelle Bork

Isabelle Bork, 98, of Oakes, ND, formerly of Edgeley, ND, died Thursday, January 11, 2018 at CHI Oakes Hospital, Oakes, ND.

Isabelle Caroline Bork, born April 20, 1919, formerly of Edgeley, ND went home to God at CHI Oakes Hospital on January 11, 2018. She resided at Good Samaritan Society in Oakes, ND from January 2011 until her death.

Isabelle was born in Ray Township, LaMoure County, ND. She was the daughter of Gustav and Emma (Beglau) Bork. Her sisters were Irene (Bork) Sanders, Marian (Bork) Raub and Dorothy (Bork) Anderson. Her brothers were Melvin and Ervin Bork. With her parents, brothers and sisters, she grew up on a farm homesteaded by her grandfather, Frederick Bork. Her parents built a new, modern home on the original family home site in 1951. There were many happy gatherings of family members, relatives and friends at this farm until her father’s death in 1969.

Isabelle received her elementary education in a rural school in Ray Township and graduated from Edgeley High School in 1937. She received a BS degree from North Dakota State University in Home Economics education and Foods and Nutrition with a minor in Science in 1942. Isabelle earned graduate credits from NDSU, UND, Iowa State University, South Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota.

Following graduation from NDSU Isabelle taught Home Economics in Bowman, ND for 3 years and in Jamestown, ND for 2 years. She was hired by the Grand Forks School System to teach Home Economics at Central High School in 1948 and taught there until 1977 when she moved to South Junior High School for her last years of teaching. She retired from teaching in June 1987. She was an active member of a variety of professional organizations during her career, including the American Home Economics Association (now American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences) and Delta Kappa Gamma, a professional honor society of women educators. Isabelle was a faithful member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Grand Forks and Zion Lutheran Church in Edgeley, ND throughout her life.

Following her retirement from teaching in 1987, Isabelle lived in Grand Forks, calling it home for 49 years. In 1997 Grand Forks experienced the “Flood of the Century” flood and fire. Isabelle’s downtown apartment burned in the early hours of April 19, 1997. She was evacuated to Grand Forks Air Base and celebrated her 78th birthday there on April 20, 1997. This devastating, life-changing event meant a return to Edgeley, ND and the apartment she had shared with her mother in the summer months prior to retirement in 1987. Isabelle identified with Grand Forks and read the Grand Forks Herald as well as the Edgeley Mail for nearly as long as she lived. She continued to live in Edgeley until she became a resident of Good Samaritan Society in Oakes, ND in 2011. She and her sister, Irene Bork Sanders, were both residents of Good Samaritan until Irene’s death in 2013.

Isabelle is survived by her sister, Marian Raub, her sister-in-law Dorothy Kobler Bork, 6 nephews and 3 nieces, great-nephews and nieces, and great-great nephews and nieces as well as good friends and caregivers.

Isabelle was preceded in death by her parents, Gustav and Emma Bork, her sisters Irene Sanders and Dorothy Anderson, and her brothers Melvin and Ervin Bork. Two nieces, Holly Sanders and Kay Kobler Schindler and a nephew, Craig Raub also preceded her in death.

Memorial Service : 11:00 a.m., Friday, April 27, 2018 at Zion Lutheran Church in Edgeley, ND with burial at the Mount Hope Cemetery following lunch at the church.

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