Florence A. Fox, age 98 of Coleharbor, ND died November 4th, 2011 at the Garrison Memorial Hospital.

Services will be held 10:30 A.M. Saturday, November 12th at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Riverdale, ND with Pastor John Nilsen officiating. Inurnment will follow at the Coleharbor Cemetery.

Florence was born June 6, 1913 in Mound City, SD to William A. & Lulu M. (Otradovec) Shillingstad. She resided in Mobridge, SD until she was ten years of age. Her family moved to Lodgepole, SD where she attended school and later graduated from Hettinger High School. Following her graduation, she attended normal school in Aberdeen, SD and received a teaching certificate. Florence taught school for two years at the Wilson School in Lodgepole, SD. There she met and married Tolof Wilson and from this union four children were born, Bill, Mary, Mark, & Mike. Tolof died in 1946 and Florence moved to Gateway, ND (between Riverdale & Coleharbor) where she owned and operated a restaurant. In 1949, she married Earl Fox and they made their home in Coleharbor. They farmed near Coleharbor until his death in 1977. Florence worked for the U.S. Census Bureau for 28 years and won many awards for her outstanding work. She was honored in 2002 for being the oldest full-time employee in the state of North Dakota and was the recipient of a trip to Washington, DC.

Florence was a member of St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Coleharbor until its closing and then transferred to St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Riverdale. She was a member of the Helping Hands Club which was the most long-standing ladies club in McLean County. Florence enjoyed all of her grandchildren and attended their many activities for many years. They were her greatest joy in life.

She is survived by four children, William (Shirley) Wilson of Coleharbor, Mary Anderson of Minot, Mark (Kathi) Wilson of Modesto, CA, & Michael Wilson of Pella, IA; eleven grandchildren, William (Nancy) Wilson Jr., Connie Meir, Frederick (Becki) Wilson, Charles Anderson, Jr., Christian (Stacie) Anderson, Jenna (Mike) Murieen, Michael (Donna) Wilson, Kara Washington, Neil (Angela) Wilson, Todd (Sara) Wilson, & Shawn (Otila) Wilson; 27 great-grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; one sister, Almira Bondelid of Seattle, WA; two step-sons, Perry (Dianna) Fox of Littleton, CO, & Kenneth (Maria) Fox of Pueblo, CO; one step-daughter-in-law, Joy Fox of Anchorage, AK; and numerous step-grandchildren & step-great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by two husbands, one brother, two sisters, one grandchild, one step-son, one daughter-in-law, & one son-in-law.