Maurine Brobjorg

MAURINE MILDRED BROBJORG was born on November 15, 1922, to Walter and Mildred (Smith) Russell in Kanaranzi, Minnesota. She attended some school near Kanaranzi and then her family moved up to farm north of Pipestone in Troy Township. She attended school in Pipestone, graduating from Pipestone High School in 1940. She then moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota and attended the Nettleton Business College and worked at First Security Bank in Sioux Falls. In 1950, she met Cliff Brobjorg at the Arkota Ballroom and in July of that year the two were engaged. On January 20, 1951, they were united in marriage at First Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls. The couple lived in Baltic, South Dakota for a short time and then moved in 1952 back to the family farm in Troy Township. In 2005, Cliff preceded her in death and Maurine continued to live on the farm. On August 15, 2017, she was admitted into the Pipestone County Medical Center and then into the Good Samaritan Communities of Pipestone for three weeks. On September 29, 2017, she entered into the Pipestone County Hospice House and passed away peacefully there on Tuesday, October 24, 2017, at the age of 94 years, 11 months, and 13 days.

Maurine was a member of First Lutheran Church in Pipestone and was part of a Circle group there. She enjoyed crocheting, needlepoint work, embroidering, cooking, and baking. For a few years she worked at Sweet Township Insurance in Pipestone. She was a hard worker, working right beside Cliff for all those years on the farm (or was it he working beside her?). She loved her trips to the casino and their weekly Saturday night trips to Dar’s Pizza in Pipestone. In her younger years she loved going to the Hollyhock Ballroom dancing with Cliff. She enjoyed playing cards with family and grandchildren through the years, teaching them many different card games. At home she loved watching birds and deer in the yard, and seeing the yard cats around. Her Sunday home-cooked meals at the house, available and open for all, will be sorely missed.

Maurine is lovingly remembered by her two children, Richard (Carolyn) Brobjorg of Pipestone, and Karla (Jeff) Carstensen of Jasper, Minnesota; grandchildren, Krystal (Thomas) Prinsen, Kerrie (Dan) Decko, Justin (Brenda) Brobjorg, Andrea (Craig) Wenande, Noel (Kayla) Carstensen, and Lauren Carstensen; nine great-grandchildren, Kaylee, Kirsten, Michael, Megan, Landon, Gabriella, Colt, Brantley, and Ryker; and special neighbor, Ed Loll. She was preceded in death by her husband, Clifford; and one great-granddaughter, Alivia Maurine Wenande.