Mildred (Hofstad) Ingebo
June 27, 1923 – Nov. 23, 2020
Mildred Gladys Hofstad
Ingebo passed away from
Covid-19 November 23,
2020, at Heart of America
Care Center, Rugby. A
memorial service will
take place when the Co-
vid-19 pandemic has sub-
sided, with interment at
Vasa Cemetery, Esmond,
the resting place of her
sister and brother-in-law,
Alice and Douglas
Engkvist.
Mildred was born to
Norwegian immigrants,
Bjarne and Aasta Hofstad,
June 27, 1923, in Crosby.
She was baptized and
confirmed at Trinity Luth-
eran Church, built by
homesteaders, on
grandparents Lornts and
Grethe Hofstad’s farm,
rural Ambrose.
Mildred attended Rose-
ville School #4, complet-
ed three years of high
school at home with the
Division of Correspon-
dence Study, North Dako-
ta Agricultural College
(NDSU), and in 1942 gra-
duated from Glenburn
High School. To help
reduce the teacher shor-
tage caused by World War
II she enrolled in emer-
gency teacher training at
Minot State College,
teaching in country
schools 1942-1946.
Growing up in a Farm-
ers Union local led Mil-
dred to a career working
for North Dakota Farmers
Union. As fieldworker
(1946-1954), she assisted
officers and members in
organizing locals and
cooperatives, and promot-
ed family-size farm pro-
grams, public education
and health care. Mildred
was state director of youth
activities (1954-1958), and
developed international
Farmers Union youth ex-
change programs, meeting
with notables such as
former First Lady Eleanor
Roosevelt at a United Na-
tions Conference in New
York City. Mildred was
education assistant to the
president (1976-1984), a
member of the North
Dakota State Health Coor-
dinating Council, and
worked with the Mental
Health Association to plan
farm stress workshops.
Mildred received a
Bachelor of Science in
speech pathology from
Mankato State College in
1964 and Master of Sci-
ence in speech-language
pathology and education
for the deaf from Minot
State College in 1971. She
served fourteen North
Dakota schools as a
pathologist.
In retirement, Mildred
lived in Crosby and Rug-
by, and in both communi-
ties enjoyed volunteering
with Senior Citizens, Sons
of Norway, Farmers Un-
ion, Lutheran Churches,
the Democrat-NPL, and
sharing her musical
talents with nursing home
residents.
Mildred spoke her mind
about current issues, and
at age 90 penned letters to
newspapers believing it
was crucial to defend the
Affordable Care Act, as it
protected people with
underlying illnesses from
losing their health in-
surance coverage.
Niewoehner Funeral
Home – Rugby
www.niewoehnerfh.com