Hildegarde grew up at Fort Rice and Mandan, N.D., graduating from Mandan High School. She then came to Fargo, N.D. to take an accounting course, and very quickly became part of the music scene in Fargo. This was during the heyday of silent motion pictures and Hildegarde found work as a house organist at the Orpheum, State, and Fargo Theatres. At that time she also became employed as staff organist at WDAY Studio. She had studied theatre organ under Eddie Dunstedter in Minneapolis.
In Fargo, she played on Barton, Marr & Colton, and Wurlitzer theatre pipe organs, and the last remaining of these is the Fargo Theatre Wurlitzer Organ. Hildegarde worked for WDAY for 28 years, retiring around 1955. She was the third house organist of the Fargo Theatre, beginning in the summer of 1926, several months after the theatre opened.
She married the Fargo Theatre manager, Ed Kraus, who disliked all things organ and by 1948, the Fargo Theatre Wurlitzer fell silent and she did not play it again until it was restored beginning in 1973. In 1965 Hildegarde became a charter member of the Red River Theatre Organ Society, and her fellow members convinced her to come out of retirement and she scored several more silent films during the '70s and '80s. Throughout her years in the theatre industry, she met many celebrities who came to the Fargo. She was also organist of St. John Lutheran Church in Fargo. During the later years of her life, she was honored at several organ events of the Red River Theatre Organ Society.
She later passed away from demenita/alzheimer's disease and was able to play proficiently even during the progression of the disease. She is still revered today by those who knew her as "The Incomparable Hildegarde" and she and Ed have a commemorative sidewalk square on Broadway in Fargo. Contributor: Oak Mound (48178057)
In Fargo, she played on Barton, Marr & Colton, and Wurlitzer theatre pipe organs, and the last remaining of these is the Fargo Theatre Wurlitzer Organ. Hildegarde worked for WDAY for 28 years, retiring around 1955. She was the third house organist of the Fargo Theatre, beginning in the summer of 1926, several months after the theatre opened.
She married the Fargo Theatre manager, Ed Kraus, who disliked all things organ and by 1948, the Fargo Theatre Wurlitzer fell silent and she did not play it again until it was restored beginning in 1973. In 1965 Hildegarde became a charter member of the Red River Theatre Organ Society, and her fellow members convinced her to come out of retirement and she scored several more silent films during the '70s and '80s. Throughout her years in the theatre industry, she met many celebrities who came to the Fargo. She was also organist of St. John Lutheran Church in Fargo. During the later years of her life, she was honored at several organ events of the Red River Theatre Organ Society.
She later passed away from demenita/alzheimer's disease and was able to play proficiently even during the progression of the disease. She is still revered today by those who knew her as "The Incomparable Hildegarde" and she and Ed have a commemorative sidewalk square on Broadway in Fargo. Contributor: Oak Mound (48178057)
Hildegarde grew up at Fort Rice and Mandan, N.D., graduating from Mandan High School. She then came to Fargo, N.D. to take an accounting course, and very quickly became part of the music scene in Fargo. This was during the heyday of silent motion pictures and Hildegarde found work as a house organist at the Orpheum, State, and Fargo Theatres. At that time she also became employed as staff organist at WDAY Studio. She had studied theatre organ under Eddie Dunstedter in Minneapolis.
In Fargo, she played on Barton, Marr & Colton, and Wurlitzer theatre pipe organs, and the last remaining of these is the Fargo Theatre Wurlitzer Organ. Hildegarde worked for WDAY for 28 years, retiring around 1955. She was the third house organist of the Fargo Theatre, beginning in the summer of 1926, several months after the theatre opened.
She married the Fargo Theatre manager, Ed Kraus, who disliked all things organ and by 1948, the Fargo Theatre Wurlitzer fell silent and she did not play it again until it was restored beginning in 1973. In 1965 Hildegarde became a charter member of the Red River Theatre Organ Society, and her fellow members convinced her to come out of retirement and she scored several more silent films during the '70s and '80s. Throughout her years in the theatre industry, she met many celebrities who came to the Fargo. She was also organist of St. John Lutheran Church in Fargo. During the later years of her life, she was honored at several organ events of the Red River Theatre Organ Society.
She later passed away from demenita/alzheimer's disease and was able to play proficiently even during the progression of the disease. She is still revered today by those who knew her as "The Incomparable Hildegarde" and she and Ed have a commemorative sidewalk square on Broadway in Fargo. Contributor: Oak Mound (48178057)
In Fargo, she played on Barton, Marr & Colton, and Wurlitzer theatre pipe organs, and the last remaining of these is the Fargo Theatre Wurlitzer Organ. Hildegarde worked for WDAY for 28 years, retiring around 1955. She was the third house organist of the Fargo Theatre, beginning in the summer of 1926, several months after the theatre opened.
She married the Fargo Theatre manager, Ed Kraus, who disliked all things organ and by 1948, the Fargo Theatre Wurlitzer fell silent and she did not play it again until it was restored beginning in 1973. In 1965 Hildegarde became a charter member of the Red River Theatre Organ Society, and her fellow members convinced her to come out of retirement and she scored several more silent films during the '70s and '80s. Throughout her years in the theatre industry, she met many celebrities who came to the Fargo. She was also organist of St. John Lutheran Church in Fargo. During the later years of her life, she was honored at several organ events of the Red River Theatre Organ Society.
She later passed away from demenita/alzheimer's disease and was able to play proficiently even during the progression of the disease. She is still revered today by those who knew her as "The Incomparable Hildegarde" and she and Ed have a commemorative sidewalk square on Broadway in Fargo. Contributor: Oak Mound (48178057)
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