Nora Hendrickson

Friday, March 11, 2022 4:18 am

Nora Hendrickson, age 95 of Decorah, passed away on Wednesday, March 9, 2022 at her home in Decorah.

Nora’s wishes were to donate her body to the University of Iowa for medical research.

 A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Nora Alice (Forde) Hendrickson was born Sept. 30, 1926 to Ralph and Ausilga (Sorenson) Forde in Champlin, Minn. The family later moved to Starbuck, MN when her father was hired to be the music instructor in the Starbuck public school system.  The family moved again when Nora was a senior in high school to Montevideo, Minn., where she graduated in 1944.After a year working in St. Paul, Minn., she enrolled at Luther College where she graduated with a BA in music in 1949. She accepted a position as the vocal music teacher in the public schools of Osage, after graduating college.

She was united in marriage to Kermit Hendrickson on June 20, 1950 in Montevideo, Minn. This marriage was blessed with five children — one daughter, Kristin, and four sons, Steven, Loren, Neil, and Karl.

As an active member of First Lutheran Church in Decorah, she sang in the Senior Choir for 50 years. A women’s trio was formed from among her friends and this trio performed at numerous community functions including the first Nordic Fest.  She also gave private piano lessons in her home to many aspiring musicians.  Nora was an active member of the Town & Country Garden Club and twice served as president — in 1989 and again in 1997.  She was also a long-time member of the Luther College Women’s Club.

She is survived by her five children, nine grandchildren — Brett, Angela, Kirsten, Leah, Eric, Hannah, Henry, Thomas, and Maria Hendrickson, and three great grandchildren — Christopher, Alex, and Kyra Langwiser. Nora was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her four siblings — Betty Mae Baccarini, and Ralph, John, and Richard Forde.