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Nita Jean Korgel • 1942 - 2010 Nita Jean Korgel, 68, Minot, ND, passed away unexpectedly Thursday, November 18, 2010, at Trinity Hospital in Minot. Nita Jean Korgel was born in Kenmare, ND, on April 24, 1942, to Nels R. Olson and Julia B. (Knutson) Olson. Nita attended grade school in Tolley, ND and later, after the family moved to Minot, graduated from Minot High School in 1960. She attended Minot State College (now University) receiving bachelor and master degrees. Following her completion of Trinity Hospital's Medical Technology program in her early twenties, she began her career working in their laboratory. She served 41 years, first as a technologist and then as Lab Manager. Despite many years of experience and her supervisory position, she never stopped being an exceptional worker--taking her turn along with staff to work holidays and weekends until she retired, and as an expert at drawing blood quickly and painlessly, she went in early each morning to draw blood from patients who suffered particularly difficult blood-drawing conditions. Even after retirement, she became a dedicated volunteer at the hospital, serving on the auxiliary board and at auxiliary events, and helping in different areas of the hospital. She married Richard Arnold Korgel on April 26, 1963. The couple raised five children: Desiree, Robin, Lisa, Richard Alan, and Jennifer. Attentive and dedicated parents, Nita and Richard strove to raise their children with strong values. Like many mothers of her generation, she worked long hours both as a mother and an employee. After a full day of work at the hospital, she went home to a husband and five demanding children. She cooked, cleaned, and nurtured them all. From seeing them survive serious illnesses to learning multiplication during extended late night childhood homework sessions, Nita never rested until her family’s needs were taken care of. A firm believer in education, Nita supported her children through their various post-high school certifications and advanced degrees and all of the children achieved careers largely aided by her persistence. She never stopped believing in their potential, even into their adulthoods and they continued to consult her weekly for her gentle guidance and support, which never expressed judgment, only love. They strive, albeit without her gracefulness, to apply her values of hard work and level-headed moderation into their own working careers and roles as parents. Her support and seemingly unlimited ability to give care to others did not stop with her own children. She supported family members through difficult illnesses and friends of the family have benefited from her service in their illnesses as well. A quiet, thoughtful and generous person, Nita never turned from the task of providing sustenance and aid to those in her life. After her retirement and so many years of selfless devotion to her work and family, she finally relaxed and took time to enjoy herself. In the last five years, she became an avid quilter and belonged to the Minot Prairie Quilt Guild. She strived at doing her best when it came to quilting, always looking to improve her skills. She started by making simple quilts for the family, and then advanced into making quilts for others. Due her inevitable inability to simply do for herself, she turned her quilting interests into another way to give, helping the guild and the Saron Lutheran Church group with quilts for charity. Nita was a life-long reader, a trait inherited by some of her children and grandchildren. During the short North Dakota summers, she gardened, keeping both flowers beds and a generous-sized vegetable garden. Although she never explicitly expressed a passion for cooking, like everything else, she did it well. She is famous among her family for excellent meals and was always a generous host to family gatherings where she ensured all were well-fed. She also enjoyed golfing with friends and stayed physically active up until her passing. Because some of her children live in California and Colorado, she and her husband traveled regularly as well. This past summer, they visited both states to see their children and grandchildren. Part of their visits included a drive and several short hikes through the stark Death Valley National Park. Her curiosity and interest in the world and her surroundings never diminished. She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Richard; her children, Desiree (Alan) Hamill, Lancaster, CA; Robin (Niki) Young, Salinas, CA; Lisa (William) Cole, Colorado Springs, CO; Rick, Minot, ND; and Jennifer, Bismarck, ND; and her grandchildren, Ryan and Aaron Young; Julia and Sydney Cole; her sister, Patricia McCarthy; and her mother-in-law, Rose, all Minot, ND. She was preceded in death by her parents; and her brother, Robert. Funeral: Tuesday, November 23, 2010, at 11:00 a.m. at First Lutheran Church, Minot.
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Nita Jean Korgel