Elsie Kraft

Elsie A. Kraft, 86, Bismarck, died July 9, 2001, in a Bismarck care center. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at Eastgate Funeral Service Chapel, Bismarck, with the Rev. Dale Naaben officiating. Burial will be held at 3:30 p.m. Friday in Page Cemetery, Page.

Visitation will be held from 1 to 9 p.m. today at Eastgate Funeral Service.

Elsie was born Oct. 11, 1914, at Hunter, to Frank A. and Ada (Scharmer) Kraft. When she was a young girl, her parents moved to Page where she attended grade school and graduated from high school. She attended business college in Fargo, where she received a secretarial certificate. She then attended Valley City State Teachers College, earning a teaching certificate.

Elsie was employed by the Traill County Agricultural Association in Hillsboro for eight years before moving to Fargo, where she worked for the Internal Revenue Service as a supervisory tax examiner. In this position she received an Honorary Recognition Certificate for her job performance. In 1968 Elsie began disability retirement. She lived with her mother at Valley City until 1993 when they moved to Bismarck. She moved to the Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center in 1996.

Elsie enjoyed visiting with her family and friends. Despite her right-side paralysis from a brain tumor in 1967, she learned to use her left hand to write and type and regularly corresponded with her friends and family members around the country. She received many letters in return, particularly at Christmas time.

Elsie liked to play a good game of cards, especially whist and gin rummy. Throughout her lifetime, she stayed active with numerous craft projects, ceramics and bowling. In her younger years, Elsie enjoyed traveling and photographing these and other special events in her life, often sharing her slide shows with others. She was a loyal fan of Lawrence Welk and his champagne music makers.

Elsie had a keen sense of fashion, coupled with refined tastes. She used these talents to dress in elegant ensembles, coordinating classy clothes with matching jewelry, gloves and other accessories, including an appropriate selection from her cache of stunning hats. Elsie loved the color green and much of her wardrobe, furniture and possessions, including her first little Ford car she named "Lizzy," were all green.

Elsie actively attended church services at the Missouri Slope chapel and her Bible was always close at hand. Her quiet faith must surely have sustained her throughout the many challenges she faced in her life. It was evident that she lived and practiced her Christian values.

Elsie was a friendly, warm and generous person, with a delightful sense of humor. She faced the challenges and obstacles in her life with courage and dignity and was never a complainer. She had an incredibly positive attitude and regardless of whether she was sick or in pain, she would always say she was "pretty good," even until the very end of her life.

She is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Lucille and Walter L. Braun, Bismarck; two nieces and their spouses, Renee and John Thorp, Bozeman, Mont., and Barbara Braun and Glen Naumann, Bismarck; and two grandnieces, Sasha and Rachel Thorp.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and one brother, Rueban.

The family prefers memorials to Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center, 2425 Hillview Ave., Bismarck, N.D. 58501.