Deloris Enstad

Deloris Enstad passed away at her home south of Pekin, ND on May 17, 2016 at the age of 87.

She was born Deloris Kathleen Simonson on August 3, 1928 in Pekin, ND. She was baptized and confirmed in the Pekin Lutheran Church. She graduated from Pekin High School in 1946 and then attended Mayville Teachers College. Deloris taught school at Forde #3, a one-room school, south of Tolna, ND. She married Iver Hensrud in March 1950. She completed that school year of teaching and then farmed with Iver until he died in 1960. They had 4 children. In 1961 she moved her family to Tolna. She worked at the Farmers Union Oil Company until she was offered a job as bookkeeper at Farmers and Merchants State Bank of Tolna. She worked there for the next 30 years. She married Irwin Enstad in May 1970 and moved to his farm with her 2 youngest children. He died in 1978.

Throughout her life she was involved in church activities including teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, Ladies Aid/WELCA, church council as Deaconess, and after she “retired” she attended the G.I.F.T.S. program and became a lay minister. She led services and handled baptisms and funerals in many churches across the eastern half of North Dakota. Deloris volunteered at the Care Center in McVille, ND and was on the Health Services Foundation Board for many years. She was active in the Farmers Union as a youth leader and summer camp director and later as a director and secretary/treasurer of the Nelson County Farmers Union Board until she stepped down in 2013.

Deloris is survived by her son Donald (Dorothy Stallard) Hensrud of Oslo, MN; daughters Ilana Kelly of Fargo, ND, Darlene (John) Kelly of Pekin, ND, and Debra Hensrud of Devils Lake, ND; grandchildren Carma (Stephen) Watkins, Sean (Amy) Kelly, Erin (Dan) Kelly-Friezen, Bobbi Jo (Rich) Fleming, and Amanda (Marvin) Stallard; great grandchildren Vincent Watkins, Olivia Kelly, Audrey Kelly, John Fleming, Devan Stallard, and Jayden Litterer. There are numerous others that consider her to be “Grandma Deloris” as well.

She was preceded in death by her mother Christine Simonson and husbands Iver Hensrud and Irwin Enstad.

She was greatly beloved and will be missed.

Funeral services will be Saturday, May 21, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at Sheyenne Lutheran Church, rural Pekin, ND. Visitation will begin 1 hour prior to services in the church. Interment will be in the Sheyenne Church Cemetery, rural Pekin, ND.