Lenore Hodenfield, 94

Lenore Hodenfield, 94 of Ray, most recently of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, passed away July 9, 2025.

Her Celebration of Life will be held Friday, Aug. 1, at 1 p.m. at the Ray Lutheran Church in Ray, N.D. The burial will take place at Rainbow Valley Cemetery.

The service will be recorded and viewable on this webpage as soon as it is available. Visitation will be held Thursday, July 31, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Everson-Coughlin Funeral Home downtown Williston.

Lenore was born Oct. 18, 1930, to Sigurd and Myrtle (Petterson) Melroe, in Gwinner, N.D. She was baptized and confirmed at the Gustav Adolf Church in Gwinner. Lenore completed the first and second grades at the Bowen Township School, and third through 12th grades in Gwinner, graduating in 1948. She attended Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn., for one year and graduated in 1952 from St. Luke’s School of Nursing in Fargo, N.D. Lenore trained at Cook County Hospital in Chicago and Colorado General Hospital in Denver, Colo., specializing in Neonatal care. She served as Head Nurse for the Nursery at St. Luke’s Hospital in Fargo. She also worked at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Williston and the Tioga Hospital, where she helped deliver the first baby born in Tioga. She was very proud to be a nurse and had fond memories of her nursing experiences.

Lenore married Curtis Hodenfield on Oct. 30, 1954, at the Gustav Adolf Church in Gwinner. Together, they built a life full of love, 7 miles northwest of Ray, where they farmed and raised their four children: Pam, Kim, Shane and Kyel. Curt passed away Oct. 6, 2012.  

Lenore grew up in an athletic family and continued her love of sports in raising her family with Curt. Together, they started the Ray Easter Basketball Tournament, benefiting recreation programs for the community. NDSU football was always a favorite, and they traveled to many games as Bison Fans.

Lenore cherished her family and loved spending time together for holidays, special occasions and the summer months with her grandchildren. She found great joy in supporting her children and grandchildren in all of their various church, school and sporting activities. She spent many hours reading, going for walks and taking care of her beautiful flowers, along with making countless homemade and baked good items. She excelled in making caramel rolls, orange rolls, bread pudding and Grandma Lenny’s buns. Lenny was an excellent seamstress. Lenny had a deep love for her Scandinavian heritage and enjoyed the traditional crafts of rosemaling and hardanger.

She was a member of the Rainbow Valley Lutheran Church, the RV Church Women, and the Ray Lutheran Church, as well as the Ray Auxiliary Post No. 9 and the Modernaires Homemakers Club. She taught Sunday School and Bible School and was a 4-H Leader. She held offices for the RV Church Council and Church Women and served on the Champion Township Board and the Upper Missouri Valley Bible Camp Board.  

Lenny had the opportunity to travel with her family to Paris, London, Norway and European countries. She and Curt took many road trips, traveling around the United States. Ever the vigilant co-pilot, Lenny was responsible for monitoring the speed limit and discouraging the use of unauthorized parking spots.

In 2022, Lenny moved to Coeur d’Alene and became a resident of the Renaissance Assisted Living Center. She was known for her quick wit, kindness and ever grateful heart. She renewed her lifelong friendship with Willette, her son-in-law's mother. They enjoyed many concerts, plays, walks and lunches in the park, dinners at Beverly's, strolling by Lake Coeur d’Alene and their Chai Tea Lattes.

A loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Lenore found her greatest joy in family. She leaves behind a beautiful legacy in her children/spouses: Pam and Jon Ness, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; Kim and Gene Wirtz, Underwood, N.D.; Shane and Steph Hodenfield, Ray, N.D.; and Kyel and Kim Hodenfield, Evergreen, Colo. She was blessed with 11 grandchildren/spouses Katherine/Mahesh, Jacob/Jami, Luke, Jeremy/Kaitlyn, Maria/Tanner, Keenan/Brooke-Lynn, Haley, Garrett, Brady, Brianne and Brooke/Matt; and her six great-grandchildren: Tyler, Camden, Josie, Karsyn, Denali and Grant, and one great grandchild on the way.

She is also survived by her brother/sister-in-law, Sylvan/Caroline Melroe, sisters-in-law Betty Melroe, Ardis Rollefson, Charlotte Hodenfield and brother-in-law/sister-in-law Melvin/Dorelee Hodenfield; along with many nieces, nephews, great- and great-great-nieces and nephews; and many special friends.

Lenore was preceded in death by her husband, Curt, of 57 years, her parents, Sig and Myrtle, Curt’s parents, Carl and Eline Hodenfield, sisters/brothers-in-law Merriam/Orky Dahl and Mardelle/Alton Holmstrom, brother Stanley Melroe, brothers-in-law Max Rollefson and Erling Hodenfield, and nieces Lori Ann Melroe and Jan Hodenfield.

Lenny’s enduring legacy is her love of nature, as she always said, “God’s Nature.” She appreciated clouds, trees and North Dakota sunrises and sunsets. She would always stop to smell the roses. She lived her life with faith, hope and love, and lots and lots of joy. The loveliest of lovely women, she was deeply loved and will be missed by all who knew her. 

Lenore’s family extends its deep appreciation to Kootenai Health for the excellent care it has provided over the past three years. Memorials honouring Lenore may be given to Kootenai Health Foundation or charities in the Ray community. In lieu of flowers/plants, the family prefers memorials to the donor’s choice. 

The Everson-Coughlin Funeral Home of Williston is in charge of arrangements. Visit our webpage, www.eversoncoughlin.com, to leave remembrances of Lenore.