Name/Title
Norby family: Laura Norby (Mrs. Norin Borke), daughter of Ole and Marie (Olson) Norby, 1884 pioneers of Traill County, DTEntry/Object ID
2025.36.1Description
This Norby family history folder briefly describes the life of Laura Norby, Ole and Marie (Olson) Norby's only daughter (studio photo, left). Family information is based in part on an article on page 146 in Vol. I in the Traill County History book (see article, below).
Laura Norby was born on 11 February 1890 on her parents, Ole and Marie Norby's farm in Bloomfield Township in Traill County, ND. Laura was raised and schooled in Bloomfield Township. Laura was 10 in the 1900 US Census for Bloomfield Township. By the time of the 1910 US Census, Laura (age 20) had moved to Sargeant Street in the City of Hillsboro with her parents and brothers, Oscar and Milford [see TCHS Family History Catalogit entries 2023.429.1 & 2025.35.1].
At the age of 22, Laura Norby married Norin M. Borke, age 34, in Hillsboro on 8 December 1912. After Norin and Laura married, they lived on a farmstead in the NE Qtr. of Sect. 14 in Bloomfield Township [see Plat map, below]. Their Borke farm residence was located on land owned by Norin's father, M. J. Borke. In 1924, Norin and Laura moved to a farm located in the east -half of Sect. 33 in Norway Township, which had been the Ostlund Farm and then was farmed by Laura's brother, Oscar Norby.
While on this farm from 1914 to 1923, Norin and Laura Borke had five children who are shown in a photograph taken in about 1925 (photo, below).Their five children included Millard, Carroll, Lowell, Eleanor, and Merlin Borke (Family tree, below).
As summarized in the Norby-Borke family tree, Norin and Laura (Norby) Borke's oldest child, Millard Borke, was born on 11 March 1914 in Hillsboro and baptized on 4 July 1914 [ELCA Birth-baptism rec.]. Milford graduated from Hillsboro High School with the Class of 1931 and then attended North Dakota State College in Fargo [1937 photo, below]. While at NDSC, Millard met fellow student, Marjorie M. Nims, and they married on 29 December 1940 [Engagement news, Hillsboro Banner, 13 Dec. 1940]. Marjorie was born on 8 April 1915 in Lisbon in Ransom County, ND. Millard served in the US Army during WWII and also served in Korea. Millard continued serving in the National Guard until 1953. In the 1950 US Census, Millard, 36, and Marjorie, 35, lived in Lake Park Township in Ransom County, ND, where Millard worked as an "Insurance Agent" in Lisbon. Millard and Marjorie had three girls, Marilyn, Michelle and Maureen Borke. In retirement, Millard and Marjorie spent time in Mesa, AZ. Marjorie (Nims) Borke passed away at age 73 on 13 May 1988 in Mesa, and was interred in the National Memorial Cemetery in Phoenix, AZ. In 1989, Millard married Rosalie Mae Foogman, who was born on 23 April 1934 in Hillsboro. Millard and Rosalie also spent time in Mesa, AZ, where Millard Oliver Borke passed away, age 79, on 27 November 1993. Millard was interred in the National Memorial Cemetery in Phoenix. Rosalie Mae (Foogman) Borke passed away, age 77, on 4 May 2011 in Williston, ND, and was interred in a family plot in a cemetery in Mayville, ND.
Norin and Laura (Norby) Borke's second son, Carroll Borke, was born on 1 September 1915 at the home farm in Bloomfield Township, Traill County, ND. Carroll graduated from Hillsboro High School with the Class of 1933 {Sr. photo, below]. Carroll Borke met Buxton, ND, schoolteacher, Naomi Molvig, and they married on 15 November 1950 in the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Buxton [news, Hillsboro Banner, 24 Nov. 1950]. Carroll and Naomi farmed in Norway Township on a farm located in the east-half of Sect. 33 that earlier was the Ostlund Farm, which was then farmed by Carroll Borke's uncle, Oscar Norby [see TCHS Catalogit family history entry 2025.35.1]. Carroll and Naomi had two daughters, Shannon and Ramona. Carroll and Naomi had a long and productive life on their farm and then enjoyed retirement in Mesa, AZ, and on Big Cormorant Lake, MN [obit, Hillsboro Banner, 12 Dec. 2014]. Carroll Borke lived to the grand age of 99, passing away on 5 December 2014 at the medical center in Hillsboro, and Naomi (Molvig) Borke lived to an even greater age of 102, passing away on 5 December 2023 in Hillsboro. Carroll and Naomi were interred in Hillsboro's Cemetery, located just north of the city.
Norin and Laura (Norby) Borke's third son, Lowell Borke, was born on 2 September 1918 in Bloomfield Township, Traill County, ND. Lowell was raised on the home farm. In May 1934, Lowell was confirmed into Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Hillsboro [new, Hillsboro Banner, 18 May 1934]. Lowell graduated from Hillsboro High School with the Class of 1938 [Sr. photo, below]. Lowell served in WWII in the European Theatre [obit, Hillsboro Banner, 28 Feb. 1963]. After WWII, Lowell returned to Hillsboro and helped his brother, Carroll Borke, farm in Norway Township [1950 US Census]. Lowell was an active member of the local branches of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Lowell Borke only lived to the age of 43, passing away at the Veterans Hospital in Fargo on 20 February 1963.
Norin and Laura (Norby) Borke's only daughter, Eleanor Borke, was born on 12 August 1921 in Bloomfield Township. Eleanor was baptized on 19 June 1924 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Hillsboro [ELCA Birth-Baptism records]. Eleanor was raised on the family farm located in the east -half of Sect. 33 in Norway Township. In the 1930 US Census, Eleanor was 8 at the time of the census in Norway Township. Eleanor graduated from Hillsboro High School in May 1938 [HHS Sr. photo, below]. In the 1940 US Census, Eleanor was 18 and on the home farm in Norway Township with her widowed mother, Laura, and brothers, Carroll and Merlin. On 6 December 1941, Eleanor Borke married Earl Lee McInnes in Moorhead, MN. Earl and Eleanor farmed in Bloomfield Township [1950 US Census], where they raised 8 children: Elaine, Kathleen, Tom, Paul, Rick, Ann, Margaret and Laurie McInnes. Earl McInnes died, age 48, on 4 February 1964 at the Community Hospital in Hillsboro [ND Death Certif.], and he was interred in the Riverside Cemetery by Hillsboro. After Earl's passing Eleanor continued to operate the family farm in Bloomfield Township with help from her sons and daughters. Eleanor moved into Hillsboro in 2001 [obit, Hillsboro Banner, 11 Jan. 2013], and in her last years Eleanor resided in Rosewood Home in Fargo. Eleanor (Borke) McInnes died, age 91, on 6 January 2013.
Norin and Laura (Norby) Borke's fourth son and last child, Merlin 'Bud' Borke, was born on 6 December 1923 in Hillsboro, ND. In the 1930 US Census, Bud was 6, and in the 1940 US Census he was 16, and was listed in the household with his parents and siblings on their Norway Township farm. Bud Borke graduated from Hillsboro High School with the Class of 1941 [Sr. photo, below]. At age 19, Bud joined the US Navy in March 1943 [news, Hillsboro Banner]. Bud Borke served in WWII and was discharged in March 1946 [news, Hillsboro Banner]. Bud then first attended the University of North Dakota [news, Hillsboro Banner, 11 Oct 1946] and then the University of Denver [news, Hillsboro Banner, 15 Oct. 1948]. On 13 June 1949, Merlin Borke, 25, married Lois Hanson, 20, on 13 June 1949 at the First Congregational Church in Hillsboro, ND [news, Hillsboro Banner, 24 Jun. 1949]. After a honeymoon in Winnipeg, Bud and Lois made their home in Denver, CO, where Bud was attending the University. Bud and Lois Borke then moved to Lisbon, ND [news, Hillsboro Banner, 24 Nov. 1950], where they had four children, Mark, Joellyn, Pam and Norin Jr. Borke. By 1964, Bud, Lois and children had moved to Ames, IA [news, Hillsboro Banner, 26 Aug. 1964]. Ten years later, by 1974, Bud and Lois moved to Bismarck, ND [news, Hillsboro Banner, 7 Feb. 1974]. Bud and Lois lived long lives in Bismarck, where Bud worked for Melroe Manufacturing [obit info]. Bud retired in 1989.In Bismarck, Merlin 'Bud' Borke passed away, age 96, on 8 September 2020, and Lois (Hanson) Borke, passed away, age 93, on 8 February 2022. Bud and Lois were interred in the Veteran Cemetery in Mandan, ND [US Find-a-Grave info].
Norin and Laura (Norby) Borke had farmed in Norway Township for just over 10 years when Norin died of pneumonia at home at age 56 on 28 February 1935 [obituary, Hillsboro Banner 8 Mar. 1935, below]. Norin was interred in th Hillsboro Cemetery [grave-marker, below].
After Norin passed away in 1935, the 1940 US Census documents that Laura (Norby) Borke, age 50, continued to operate the home farm in Norway Township with help from her sons Carroll, 24, and Merlin, 16, and daughter Eleanor, 18. By 1950, Laura's son, Carroll Borke, age 34, was head of operations on the farm [1950 US Census]. In December 1950, Laura moved into Hillsboro [obit, Hillsboro Banner, 22 Apr. 1955, below].
On 7 December 1952 Laura (Norby) Borke, 62, married widower Lawrence Melsby, 66, of Hillsboro. Three years later, Laura passed away, age 65, on 19 April 1955 in Lisbon, ND, while visiting her sons, Millard and Merlin Borke. After funeral services at Our Savior's Lutheran in Hillsboro, Laura was interred in Hillsboro's Riverside Cemetery [grave-marker, below].
Lawrence Melsby lived another 23 years, passing away, age 92, on 24 June 1978 in Hillsboro. Lawrence was interred in a Melsby family plot in the Gilman Lutheran Cemetery in Spring Valley, WI [grave-marker, below].Acquisition
Accession
2025.36Source or Donor
Paula (Norby) Sanders, great granddaughter, Ole & Marie Norby, Shannon (Borke) Van Horn, great granddaughter of Ole & Marie (Olson) NorbyLocation
* Untyped Location
Resource RoomBuilding
Plummer House
