Obituary of Dorothy Munkberg

Dorothy E. Munkberg, 88, of Cambridge passed away on Sunday, August 24, 2008 at Grace Pointe Crossing East �" Cambridge Health Care Center. Dorothy Emma Howe was born on June 9, 1920 at home on the family farm in Brooklyn Center to parents Roy and Myrtle Howe. She was the first of six children. She moved from Brooklyn Center with her family to Henriette, MN in 1925. Attended the Henriette School until 1933 when her family moved back to Brooklyn Center. She graduated from Robbinsdale High School and the Minneapolis School of Business. On February 17, 1940, she and Delmer Munkberg were united in marriage. They lived in Brooklyn Center until March 1958 when they moved with their four children to Cambridge, where Dorothy immediately became involved in activities and service in her new community. In addition to running the household, she also did secretarial work for Roy M. Howe Potato Brokerage and Fertilizer companies and did the bookkeeping for Munkberg Farms. At an early age she taught Sunday School and was active in MYF. She was Sunday School Superintendent and Commission Education Chairman for many years in both Brooklyn Center and Cambridge. She has worked on the memorial, historical, service, friendship, and prayer chain committees; served on the administrative board, nominating committee and fund raising committee. She has been an active member of United Methodist Women and past President. 4-H was one of her interests. She was leader of the Town & Country 4-H Club for 12 years and a member of the Extension Committee for 18 years. She was a member and President of the Cambridge Women's Club and Domestic Engineers Homemakers group. She attended grief consoling sessions which resulted in her founding the Golden Girls, a support group for widows. She was a member of and past matron, various Star points and chaplain of Jasmine Chapter 197 Order of Eastern Star. She was a member of Eastern Star for more than 60 years. In 1989, Dorothy established the first scholarship given by Cambridge-Isanti Dollars for Scholars, the Delmer E. Munkberg Memorial Scholarship. She served on the Board of Dollars for Scholars through the spring of 2007. She was the Isanti County Outstanding Senior Citizen in 1996 and received the District 911 Friend of Education Award in 2000. She was involved with the Isanti County Commission on Aging and the Healthy Senior Project. She volunteered at the Shalom Shop and the Food Pantry. Her active interests and community involvement continued throughout her life during residences at Riverwood and Cambridge Health Care Center. Preceding her in death was her husband, Delmer Munkberg and her parents, Roy and Myrtle Howe and sisters Carol Comstock and Charlotte Nordby. Surviving her are her children and their spouses Vera and Byron Marshall of Minneapolis, Charles and Polly Munkberg of Little Rock, AR, Mary Lach and Ron McLeod of Edina, and John and Lynette Munkberg of Cambridge; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren; her siblings and their spouses �" Ralph and Leone Howe of Golden Valley, Keith Nordby of Brooklyn Park, Bill and Doris Howe of Golden Valley, and Ruth Howe and Merril Thiel of Bemidji, as well as many nieces, nephews other relatives and friends.