Grayce Alberta Dvirnak, 82, of Fruita, Colo., died surrounded by her loving family, on Monday, September 3, 2012 at Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Colorado, Grand Junction, Colo. as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Funeral services for Grayce will be at 11 a.m., Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at Hillside Baptist Church, Dickinson. Interment will take place at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan, at 11 a.m. CT, Wednesday.
Grayce was born in Alberta, Canada on September 16, 1929 and was the oldest of eight children born to Alex and Anna (Versolenko) Bovkoon. She was raised at Greatstone, N.D., graduated from Turtle Lake High School, attended Minot State Teachers College and taught in the Malcom Rural School District, Coleharbor, N.D. for three years prior to her marriage. Grayce took great delight in showing her children her first teaching contract which read “in addition to her teaching responsibilities, that said Grayce Bovkoon is to do her own janitor work, is not allowed to attend dances on night’s prior to school days and should be at the school house one half hour before school is to convene,” all for the sum of $135.00/month.
Grayce Bovkoon and Alick Dvirnak of Killdeer, N.D. were married on September 25, 1949 at the Baptist Church in Max, N.D. and lived on the family’s historic Diamond C Ranch near Killdeer where together they farmed and ranched and raised their family of six children before retiring to Dickinson, N.D. in 1992.
Grayce had a remarkable zest for living. She was a gracious hostess and took great pleasure in entertaining her family and friends; she had the remarkable ability for making everyone feel welcomed and at home, and this generous and giving spirit brought her many friends and long lasting, loving relationships.
She had a great variety of lifelong interests. First and foremost, Grayce was renowned and greatly admired for her cooking and canning, most especially her cheese pockets and dill pickles, as well as her skills as a master gardener. Music was also an important part of her life – she played piano, sang in her church choir, was a member of The Sweet Adelines, loved attending musical concerts but, above all, her love of music was best evidenced by her commitment to seeing that all six of her children took piano lessons until they graduated from high school.
Grayce led a rich and fulfilling life and in retirement she and Alick traveled extensively throughout the United States as well as Spain, North Africa, Russia, Ukraine, China and Mexico.
In 2002, Grayce and Alick moved to Fruita, Colo. where she lived until her death.
Grayce’s life revolved around being a wife, mother and grandmother and she leaves to cherish her memory and mourn her passing her beloved husband Alick, two daughters, Diane Dvirnak and Lucinda (David) Schultz; four sons, Bryan (Cynthia), Craig (Rhonda), David (Kristin), and Dwight (Gaye); three grandsons, Nathan Carson, Andrew (Pam) Dvirnak and Austin (Natalie) Dvirnak; five granddaughters, Noelle (Chris) Thurlow, Anya Dvirnak, Amber (Josh) Keller, Erin Konrath, and Nina Dvirnak; one great-granddaughter, Hannah Thurlow; her sister, Della Chisholm and her brother, Alex (Judy) Bovkoon Jr.
She was preceded in death by a grandson, Brett Dvirnak, her parents Alex Sr. and Anna Bovkoon, her sisters Mary Ann Bovkoon, Vivian Elwein and Irene Eslinger, and her brothers, Oscar and Matthew Bovkoon.
Memorials may be given to Camp Bentley, P.O. Box 102, Drake, ND 58736.
