Orphie S. Vraa of Crookston, MN, died March 24, 2025 at the age of 97. She was born in Froid, MT on October 26, 1927, the daughter of Gilbert and Alma (Wold) Vraa. The family farmed in Montana on land that was homesteaded by her father shortly after World War I. She attended grade school in Brockton, Montana until 1939 when her father sold the homestead and purchased a farm south of McIntosh, Minnesota. She attended school in McIntosh where she graduated from high school in 1945.
The family moved to Crookston, Minnesota following her father’s retirement in 1945 where she worked at the Grill Cafe for a short time before moving to Sacramento, California. There she worked for Stan’s Restaurant from 1947 until 1949. She returned to Crookston where she was employed by the Northwestern Bell Telephone Company for eleven years. Following that, she transferred to Minneapolis where she worked for the US West Telephone Company for 39 1/2 years, retiring in 1990. Following her retirement she stayed in the Minneapolis area until October of 2005 when she moved back to Crookston to be closer to her family. She has been a lifelong member of the American Legion and VFW Auxilliaries and the telephone company “Pioneers.”
Orphie is preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Corma (Russell) Norby, Ione Ostgarden, Mae Varin; brother, Tilman Vraa; sister-in-law, Ruby Vraa; brothers-in-law, Russell Norby, Orville Ostgarden and Nap Varin; nephews, Dennis and Darryl Norby, Duane Ostgarden, and Jeffrey Engen.
Orphie is survived by her sister, Rosie (Dennis) Engen of Grand Forks, ND and several nieces and nephews.
Her family will honor her life with a funeral service on Saturday March 29, 2025 at 2:00 pm at Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home with visitation beginning one hour prior.
Burial will be in Skatvold Cemetery in Climax, Minnesota.
