Bornhorst, Elsie 1916-2004

BORNHORST, BJORK, SANNY

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Volunteer
Date: 4/14/2007 at 13:56:38

LE MARS, Iowa -- Elsie Bornhorst, 88, of Le Mars passed away Friday, April 23, 2004, at the Stewartville Care Center in Stewartville, Minn.

Services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at Mauer-Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars, with the Rev. Nancy Phillips officiating. Burial will be in Remsen Cemetery. Visitation will begin 2 p.m. Monday, with the family present 5 to 7 p.m., at the funeral home. Visitation will resume 9 a.m. Tuesday and continue until service time at the funeral home.

Elsie Maud Bornhorst was born on Jan. 15, 1916 in Cherokee County, near Marcus, Iowa, the daughter of Walter and Clara (Sanny) Bjork. She moved with her family to a farm near Remsen, Iowa in 1918. Elsie attended country school and assisted her mother with farming following her father's death in 1931. She later graduated from Samuel's Beauty College in Sioux City. At the age of 19, Elsie opened and operated a beauty shop in Remsen. She lost the shop in the Remsen fire of 1936.

On July 8, 1941, Elsie and Sylvester "Curly" Bornhorst were united in marriage in Remsen. The couple made Le Mars their home, where Curly operated Curly's Barbershop on the corner of Central Avenue and Plymouth Street. Elsie was a meter reader for Iowa Public Service during World War II. She was later employed with Vance's Fabrics in Le Mars, where she sold fabrics and taught knitting classes. She also taught knitting, crocheting and quilting classes at Le Mars Community Schools through Western Iowa Technical Community College.

Elsie helped to organize the first hospital auxiliary for Sacred heart Hospital (later Floyd Valley Hospital) and had served as auxiliary president and chairman of the annual bazaar. She also served as chairman of the craft displays at the Plymouth County Fair for 12 years. She enjoyed candy making, cake decorating, knitting, sewing, quilting, crocheting and helping people with their "problem projects".

Elsie will be lovingly remembered by her son, Randy Bornhorst and his wife, Cathy of Rochester, Minn.; a daughter, Debbie Bloomer and her husband, Carl, of Omaha, Neb; grandchildren, LeAnn Bauman and her husband, Grant, Brian and Brandon Bornhorst; and great-grandchildren, Haley and Abigail Bauman, all of Rochester.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Curly; two sisters, Sue Hames and Cleo Johnson; and a brother, Jimmy Bjork.

[Part of the Darrell Easton Obituary Collection; source:Sioux City Journal]