Mildred L. Hefta-Henricksen

Mildred (Storbakken) Hefta-Henricksen, 100, was born in Oslo, Minnesota on February 14, 1924 (Valentine’s Day), and passed away August 8, 2024.

Mildred spent her childhood on the Storbakken farm in Oslo, MN where she attended country school and high school.

In her teens she hoed sugar beets in the Red River Valley Fields for extra money and worked in Grand Forks as a nanny after high school.

Mildred married Isadore Hefta in July of 1943, and they farmed near his father by Ardoch, North Dakota, where their four children were born, Wayne, Mavis, Arlynn and Ira, who was a Christmas Day baby! They then farmed near Petersburg, North Dakota for a couple of years and moved to Sheyenne, North Dakota in 1958 where they farmed until 1980 when they retired, moving to Roy, Washington so they could be near their son Wayne and a milder winter climate.

Isadore passed away in August of 1981 and Mildred remained in Washington, attending Bethany Lutheran Church where she had many wonderful friends. She would chauffeur ladies to the Senior Center for 38 years in her car until she was ninety-four.

Mildred married Gay Henricksen in 1999 and they had a wonderful and joyful time together. Gay passed away in December of 2000.

Later in life playing Bingo and doing crossword puzzles were her favorite pastimes. She also spent hours crocheting doilies and even bedspreads. She loved to dance to old time music. She became a huge fan of the Seattle Mariners, watching every game on television.

One of our fondest memories as children was getting off the school bus and smelling the aroma of her fresh fried doughnuts outside before we even got into the house. They were the best! She would haul full course hot meals out to the fields for us and the hired men who always complimented her cooking. It was the best picnic sitting out on the prairie with the family. Mom worked extremely hard milking cows, driving grain trucks, and tending an always large garden. Mom and Dad traveled to forty-nine states and Germany.

Mildred moved from Spanaway, Washington to Devils Lake, North Dakota in July of 2019.

She is survived by her daughter Mavis Elkins, Riverdale, ND, son Arlynn (Cheryl) Hefta, Devils Lake, ND; grandchildren Erik (Dion) Elkins, John Elkins, Amy (Lonney) Olson, Sadie (Travis) Myklebust, Andy (Jolene) Johnston, Joey Johnston, Jeremy Hefta and Jennifer Hefta; great grandchildren Acey Elkins, Haley Beechie, Wolf and Magnus Olson, Margo, Raleigh, and Rylan Myklebust; Zachary, Britton, and Jacob Johnston, and Brooklyn Moorhouse.

She was preceded in death by her mother Louise Larson, step-father Markus Larson, husbands Isadore Hefta and Gay Henricksen, sons Ira Hefta and Wayne Hefta, son-in-law Edwin Elkins, half brothers Marvin Larson and Arden Larson

She was very proud of making it to age 100. Her last words to her son were “I love you” and “I love Jesus.”

Funeral Services for Mildred will be Friday, August 16, 2024 at 5:00 pm at Bethel Evangelical Free Church, Devils Lake. Urn Bearers for Mildred will be her grandchildren.