Emma Senff-Thorne-Maruska was born 8 Apr 1905 in Oriska, Barnes Co., ND, to Charles Edward & Lydia Emma (Brase) Senff. The family moved to western North Dakota when she was very young and lived on a farm near Hebron in Morton Co. where 2 of her brothers were born. Then Charley and Lydia homesteaded near Marshall in Dunn Co., ND where they lived for 11 years, the last 7 of which were inundated by drought and the family lost the farm to the bank. Emma was educated at the Little Knife School where her father was on the school board for 11 years and also ran the Sennef Post Office.
The family moved back to eastern ND and lived in Argusville, in Cass Co., for a year, then they moved to a rented farm in Barnes Co., near Dazey.
Emma married Orland S. 'Shorty' Thorne on 14 Jul 1926, in Moorehead, Clay Co., MN. They later divorced after 8 yrs. Emma gave birth to daughter Darlene Velna Thorne 19 Feb 1935 in Fargo, ND. Emma answered an ad in the paper for a house keeper for a man named Joseph Maruska in Courtenay, ND. She and Joe married on 12 Dec 1938. Joe adopted Darlene. He was a big man, owned and operated the Blacksmith Shop in Courtenay. Shorty Thorne moved back to Detroit, MI and died there at age 65.
Emma operated a 'Cook Car' when she was a teenager. She earned $5.00 a day bringing meals to the Threshing crews on the farms. She and her older brother Sherman operated a Grocery Store in Fargo, ND at one time.
Emma died 10 Oct 1944 at home in bed, she was 39 years old. Joe sent Darlene to be reared by his sister Anna Shambour in New Prague, MN where she took first communion in the Catholic Church.
Surviving Emma, were her husband, Joe; daughter, Darlene, age 9, both of Courtenay, ND; step-son, Seaman 1st Class, Donald Maruska, in the Pacific; siblings: Marion (Nina) Senff of Georgetown, MN, Sherman (Marie) Senff of Portland, OR, Harold (Sarah) Senff of Portland, Leon (Annetta) Senff of Portland, Hazel (Carl) Mohr of Centerville, SD, Vera (Orville) Davis of Vermillion, SD, and Raymond 'Jack' (Helen) Senff of Portland, OR.
She was preceded in death by her parents. Emma was an accomplished piano player.
The family moved back to eastern ND and lived in Argusville, in Cass Co., for a year, then they moved to a rented farm in Barnes Co., near Dazey.
Emma married Orland S. 'Shorty' Thorne on 14 Jul 1926, in Moorehead, Clay Co., MN. They later divorced after 8 yrs. Emma gave birth to daughter Darlene Velna Thorne 19 Feb 1935 in Fargo, ND. Emma answered an ad in the paper for a house keeper for a man named Joseph Maruska in Courtenay, ND. She and Joe married on 12 Dec 1938. Joe adopted Darlene. He was a big man, owned and operated the Blacksmith Shop in Courtenay. Shorty Thorne moved back to Detroit, MI and died there at age 65.
Emma operated a 'Cook Car' when she was a teenager. She earned $5.00 a day bringing meals to the Threshing crews on the farms. She and her older brother Sherman operated a Grocery Store in Fargo, ND at one time.
Emma died 10 Oct 1944 at home in bed, she was 39 years old. Joe sent Darlene to be reared by his sister Anna Shambour in New Prague, MN where she took first communion in the Catholic Church.
Surviving Emma, were her husband, Joe; daughter, Darlene, age 9, both of Courtenay, ND; step-son, Seaman 1st Class, Donald Maruska, in the Pacific; siblings: Marion (Nina) Senff of Georgetown, MN, Sherman (Marie) Senff of Portland, OR, Harold (Sarah) Senff of Portland, Leon (Annetta) Senff of Portland, Hazel (Carl) Mohr of Centerville, SD, Vera (Orville) Davis of Vermillion, SD, and Raymond 'Jack' (Helen) Senff of Portland, OR.
She was preceded in death by her parents. Emma was an accomplished piano player.
Emma Senff-Thorne-Maruska was born 8 Apr 1905 in Oriska, Barnes Co., ND, to Charles Edward & Lydia Emma (Brase) Senff. The family moved to western North Dakota when she was very young and lived on a farm near Hebron in Morton Co. where 2 of her brothers were born. Then Charley and Lydia homesteaded near Marshall in Dunn Co., ND where they lived for 11 years, the last 7 of which were inundated by drought and the family lost the farm to the bank. Emma was educated at the Little Knife School where her father was on the school board for 11 years and also ran the Sennef Post Office.
The family moved back to eastern ND and lived in Argusville, in Cass Co., for a year, then they moved to a rented farm in Barnes Co., near Dazey.
Emma married Orland S. 'Shorty' Thorne on 14 Jul 1926, in Moorehead, Clay Co., MN. They later divorced after 8 yrs. Emma gave birth to daughter Darlene Velna Thorne 19 Feb 1935 in Fargo, ND. Emma answered an ad in the paper for a house keeper for a man named Joseph Maruska in Courtenay, ND. She and Joe married on 12 Dec 1938. Joe adopted Darlene. He was a big man, owned and operated the Blacksmith Shop in Courtenay. Shorty Thorne moved back to Detroit, MI and died there at age 65.
Emma operated a 'Cook Car' when she was a teenager. She earned $5.00 a day bringing meals to the Threshing crews on the farms. She and her older brother Sherman operated a Grocery Store in Fargo, ND at one time.
Emma died 10 Oct 1944 at home in bed, she was 39 years old. Joe sent Darlene to be reared by his sister Anna Shambour in New Prague, MN where she took first communion in the Catholic Church.
Surviving Emma, were her husband, Joe; daughter, Darlene, age 9, both of Courtenay, ND; step-son, Seaman 1st Class, Donald Maruska, in the Pacific; siblings: Marion (Nina) Senff of Georgetown, MN, Sherman (Marie) Senff of Portland, OR, Harold (Sarah) Senff of Portland, Leon (Annetta) Senff of Portland, Hazel (Carl) Mohr of Centerville, SD, Vera (Orville) Davis of Vermillion, SD, and Raymond 'Jack' (Helen) Senff of Portland, OR.
She was preceded in death by her parents. Emma was an accomplished piano player.
The family moved back to eastern ND and lived in Argusville, in Cass Co., for a year, then they moved to a rented farm in Barnes Co., near Dazey.
Emma married Orland S. 'Shorty' Thorne on 14 Jul 1926, in Moorehead, Clay Co., MN. They later divorced after 8 yrs. Emma gave birth to daughter Darlene Velna Thorne 19 Feb 1935 in Fargo, ND. Emma answered an ad in the paper for a house keeper for a man named Joseph Maruska in Courtenay, ND. She and Joe married on 12 Dec 1938. Joe adopted Darlene. He was a big man, owned and operated the Blacksmith Shop in Courtenay. Shorty Thorne moved back to Detroit, MI and died there at age 65.
Emma operated a 'Cook Car' when she was a teenager. She earned $5.00 a day bringing meals to the Threshing crews on the farms. She and her older brother Sherman operated a Grocery Store in Fargo, ND at one time.
Emma died 10 Oct 1944 at home in bed, she was 39 years old. Joe sent Darlene to be reared by his sister Anna Shambour in New Prague, MN where she took first communion in the Catholic Church.
Surviving Emma, were her husband, Joe; daughter, Darlene, age 9, both of Courtenay, ND; step-son, Seaman 1st Class, Donald Maruska, in the Pacific; siblings: Marion (Nina) Senff of Georgetown, MN, Sherman (Marie) Senff of Portland, OR, Harold (Sarah) Senff of Portland, Leon (Annetta) Senff of Portland, Hazel (Carl) Mohr of Centerville, SD, Vera (Orville) Davis of Vermillion, SD, and Raymond 'Jack' (Helen) Senff of Portland, OR.
She was preceded in death by her parents. Emma was an accomplished piano player.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
