10/22/2022
Dorraine Jeanette Habberstad was born on a farm near Knox North Dakota in April of 1930, she passed from this life from advanced dementia 10 /21 /2022
The irony is, she was so extraordinarily intelligent.
High School Salutatorian at 15 years old she began her teaching career at age 16. She graduated with honors from Minot State Teachers College by way of correspondence courses and summer school while teaching country schools along the frigid Canadian Border of North Dakota.
Married a Durham wheat farmer, Melvin Worrall Jr. in 1951, only child Tanya was born 1955. Moved to Glasgow Montana 1956 because North Dakota wouldn’t hire female teachers with children and Montana would. They built their own dream house designed, decorated and painted by Dorraine, Melvin constructed everything else except dig the hole for the basement.
Traveling domestic and foreign, Fort Peck Summer Theatre, Fort Peck Fine Arts Council and Tanya’s Dance were all nurtured by Mrs. Worrall. Everything she got involved in she included her 4th and 5th grade students into. She was proud of teaching kids “out of their seats” through interaction, art, science and audio-visual mediums.
When Melvin died in 1986 she taught 4 more years then retired at age 60 - having taught grade school for 42 years. Dorraine moved to Vista California where she had found a studio for sale that Tanya, Tanya’s husband Dalton and Dorraine could live and work in. Sewing costumes, being the business manager, and photographer - she produced 20 shows a year with Tanya and Dalton. Tanya’s Dance was in business for 41 years, 10 in Montana and 31 years in Vista CA
The happiest time in her life was riding horse back with her beloved sister Joy in the Turtle Mountains of North Dakota during the Great Depression. That is what she always remembered and at sundown would try to run home to.
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