Della Borkenhagen

Della Gieseke was born on December 9, 1920 in Northrop, MN to Harry and Mabel (Lidke) Gieseke. She attended grade school in Northrop and graduated from Fairmont High School. On April 14, 1940 Della married Ervin Borkenhagen at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Fairmont. They lived in Truman for one year where Ervin worked for Jennings Blacksmith. Ervin and Della moved to the farm in 1941 and farmed until retiring in 1979. Ervin died in January of 2005. Della moved to the Lutheran Retirement Home in Truman in July of 2005. Della was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church-Fieldon and the ladies aid and played the organ for several years. Della enjoyed bird watching, photography, playing the piano, organ and accordion, deer hunting, writing poetry, embroidering, playing pinochle and saving room for dessert. Her greatest joy was getting her whole family together. Della is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Diana Griffin and her husband John of Fairbanks, AK, Bonnie Adams and her husband James of McIntosh, MN; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Glenn Borkenhagen and his wife Terry of White Bear Lake, MN, and Jay Borkenhagen of Truman; nine grandchildren; five great grandchildren; two sisters, Marian Perry of Howard Lake, MN and Deloris Kapings of Bloomington, MN and one sister-in-law, Jean Gieseke of Northrop, MN. Della was preceded in death by her parents, husband and two brothers. Memorial contributions may be given to the Lutheran Hour Ministries to support the local broadcast.