Ida Farber

Ida P. Farber, age 91, of Motley passed away at Woodland Good Samaritan in Brainerd, on Saturday, April 12, 2008. Funeral Service in planned for Tuesday, April 15 at 12:00 at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Staples. Visitation will be 2 hours prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in Evergreen Hill Cemetery, Staples, MN.
Ida Pearl Farber was born on December 19, 1916 in Woodworth, North Dakota, to James and Johanna (Buskness) Fornschell. She was six years old when her parents moved back to Minnesota to the Buffalo-Osseo area in 1923 and between 1933 and 1935 they moved to the Motley-Pillager area. On October 18, 1933 Ida met Greeno. During the summer of 1936, they decided to hitch hike to Troutdale, Oregon where Idas older sister, Onie lived. Ida and Greeno were married on October 9, 1936 in Vancouver, Washington. Ida gave birth to her first child in Stevenson, Washington. In the Spring of 1937 she got home sick, took the baby and headed back to Minnesota on the train. Greeno followed later in their car with all their belongings. Her second child was born in Brainerd, and the following children were born in Staples. They made their homestead in Becker Township where they raised their family and farmed. Ida worked at the Staples Hospital for more than 30 years, starting in the laundry department in 1951 and changing to a nurses aide in 1954.

Ida was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, she was a quilt maker, loved to play bingo and cards and lived for the moment someone would stop in for a quick game. She and her husband, Greeno loved to travel. She went to Hawaii in 1989 and visited New York City with her grandson, touring the Statue of Liberty, the Twin Towers, the Empire State Building and learned how to ride the subway. She went camping in the North Woods and visited Army bases in North Carolina and Texas, and visited grandchildren and others in Colorado and Oregon. After retirement, Ida sold the farm and moved into Sunny Pines in Motley. She moved to Harmony house in early 2004 and after a fall moved to Woodland Acres Home in Brainerd until her death.

Ida was preceded in death by her husband, Lloyd (Greeno); 1 daughter, Delorse (Bobbi) Wing; 5 brothers, Darold, Chuck, Curt. Leonard, and Raymond; 3 sisters, Viola Corner, Onie Barrett, and Norie Pietz; and 3 grandsons. She is survived by her 2 sons, Art (Carol), Mick (Donna), both of Motley; 2 daughters, Darlene Marte (Dick Spencer), of Jordan, and Sharon (Rollie) Smith, of Brainerd; 12 grandchildren; 25 great grandchildren; 2 great, great grandchildren; 1 brother, Bert (Dorothy) Fornshell, of Pillager; 2 sisters, Alta (Bud) Loucks, of Troutdale, OR, Betty Farber of Motley; son-in-law, Gary Wing; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.