Eloise Ann Konzak

Eloise Ann (Ehmke) Konzak, 78, Devils Lake, ND, entered into eternal rest on Wednesday, September 26, 2007 at the Good Samaritan Home in Devils Lake after a long illness. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, October 6, 2007, in St. Joseph Catholic Church, Devils Lake. Fr. Robert Pecotte will officiate. Burial will be immediately following the service in the Devils Lake Cemetery. Pall bearer will be Greg Konzak. Honorary pall bearers will be members of the Circle of St. Jude’s Altar Society. There will be visitation with the family present on Friday at the Gilbertson Funeral Home starting at 1 PM, followed by a rosary service at 5 PM led by the Catholic Daughters. She is predeceased by her husband Leo Konzak, her parents Charles and Marie (Birkeland) Ehmke, her brother John “Jack” (Raxine) Ehmke and her sister Patti (Marvin) Madson. Eloise is survived by an extended family including eleven children and their spouses, sixteen grandchildren, three great grandchildren and many dear cousins. Children are Anne Heinle of Bismarck, Margaret (Don (deceased)) Orand of Spring, TX, Greg and special friend Darlene Borgerson of Penn, Rita Jane (Mike) Tweeten of Pocatello, ID, Anita Konzak (Carleton Turley) of Huntingtown, MD, Elizabeth (Bob) Hammond of Lee’s Summit, MO, Kristin Konzak (Rob Salomon) of Boston, MA, Bruce of Ramsey, MN, Barb Kuhn of Orinda, CA, John of Bozeman, MT, and Bill of Orinda, CA. Grandchildren are Joan (Marvin) Becker and James (Sarah) Heinle; Timothy “Ty” and Patrick “Pak” Konzak; Jennifer (Dirk Redfern) and Sara Tweeten; Benjamin Turley; Andréa, Samantha and Chase Hammond; Coltyn, Caydin and Logan Konzak; North and Mandan Kuhn; and Jimi Rae Croff. Great grandchildren are Gwendolyn and Leone Becker and Caitlyn Redfern. Eloise was born May 10, 1929, in New Rockford and was educated in Devils Lake, class of 1947. United in marriage to Leo Konzak on August 17, 1949, in St. Joseph Catholic Church, they soon moved to Madison, WI, where Leo pursued his graduate degree in agriculture. They returned to farm in Ramsey and Benson counties, living and raising children in both Devils Lake and Minnewaukan. Eloise was a gifted artist, leaving a legacy for her children of many fine oil paintings and needlework projects. Her great interests were reading, art, visits and stories from her children and grandchildren, and her Norwegian heritage. Exploration into Norwegian culture culminated in her 2001 trip to Norway with her daughter Anne to tour the country of her grandparents. She was an active member of St. Joseph Catholic Church altar societies, especially the Circle of St. Jude’s and Catholic Daughters. After retiring from the farm, Eloise worked part-time at the Devils Lake Carnegie Library (now Lake Region Public Library) for over 25 years, served on the board of the Devils Lake Senior Center and held several posts in Sons of Norway, where she was also active in the chorus. In her honor, the Men’s Chorus from Sons of Norway will sing at her interment. The family requests memorials be sent to the Book Fund of the Lake Region Public Library in Devils Lake.