Ardella Moeckel
June 29, 1935 ~ February 4, 2024
Born in:
Wishek, North Dakota
Resided in:
Valley City, North Dakota
Ardella’s service will be livestreamed below at 2:00 pm, Monday, February 19, 2024
Ardella Ann Moeckel, 88, of Wishek, N.D., died on February 2, 2024, following a stroke at SMP Health – St. Raphael in Valley City, N.D.
Ardella was born on June 29, 1935, to Martha and Fredrick Sayler in Wishek, N.D., the eighth of ten siblings. After Ardella graduated from Wishek High School in 1953, she went on to study education at Northern State Teachers College in Aberdeen, S.D., before taking her first job as a teacher in Aberdeen, S.D.
In 1957, Ardella married Donald Hilsendager, and they had three children, Theresa, Cole, and Fred. In 1968, Ardella and her children moved back to Wishek, where she later married Stanley Moeckel.
Over the years, Ardella held many jobs. She was a teacher, seamstress, business owner, and radio show host—but her most cherished roles were that of mom, grandma, and great-grandma. Whether immediate or extended, family was the most important thing to Ardella. She readily accepted anyone into her family, and she would always go out of her way for those she loved.
Ardella was active in church and the Wishek community. She loved music, played piano, and sang in the church choir. She was a talented cook—and her fried bread, vegetable soup, and homemade caramel rolls will be dearly missed. She enjoyed crafts—especially sewing and ceramics. She especially enjoyed attending everything her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren participated in.
Ardella was loving, creative, talented, and one of the words most often used to describe her—kind. In a world so often divided, kindness is one of the most important qualities a person can have, and Ardella had it in spades.
Ardella was proceeded in death by her son, Fred Hilsendager, siblings: Edward Sayler, Leona Aipperspach, Eunice Brandt, Alice McKeever, and Violet Campbell, and parents, Martha and Frederick Sayler. She is survived by daughters Theresa Strong, Cole (Keith) Bengtson, grandchildren: Tracy (Tristin) Frank, Steven (Gina) Fercho, Maureen (Kevin) Cochran, and Olivia Hilsendager, great-grandchildren: Caitlin and Breckin Frank, Chaz and Amina Fercho, Owen, Shane, and Weston Cochran, siblings: Phyllis Gehring, Roland (Joannie) Sayler, Larry Sayler, Judi (Tom) Jackson, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and people she treated as family (including Dean and Eva Fercho, Kelsey, Zach, and Miles Smith, and Daniel Fercho).
Services will be held at Boulger Funeral Home in Fargo on Monday, February 19, at 2 p.m. with a visitation one hour prior.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Wishek Area Community Foundation or CCRI, Inc.
Services
Visitation - Monday: February 19, 2024 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Boulger Funeral Home and Celebration of Life Center
123 10th Street S.
Fargo, North Dakota 58103
701-237-6441
www.boulgerfuneralhome.com
Memorial Service - Monday: February 19, 2024 2:00 pm
Boulger Funeral Home and Celebration of Life Center
123 10th Street S.
Fargo, North Dakota 58103
701-237-6441
www.boulgerfuneralhome.com
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Ardella was and will always be my special friend. We were High School friends, …cheerleaders…lolol. , fellow crafters in later years. Ardella always had a new ideas that we needed to try. She was more talented than I, but she patiently made sure I was successful. We shared laughs, tears, and memories. Till we meet again.
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Annmarie and I send our condolences to the family. We will always remember how she looked after mom. They had a special bond. We remember visiting with mom and Ardella in the nursing home and having ice cream in her room. Neither of them ever passed up a cup of ice cream. We also have good memories of she and Stan’s lake homes at Green and Red Lake. She and mom did have the best caramel rolls and both were great cooks. We miss them both.
We got to see and spend time with Aunt Ardella on many of our visits to Wishek over the years. She would stop by for a meal or sometimes just to chat with all of us. She was such an important presence and comfort to my grandma Leona. I loved looking at all the crafts that they did together, some of which were proudly displayed around the house! Toward the end of grandma’s life, Ardella was there most days, faithfully by her side which meant so much. Thinking of the family with love.
I loved visiting with Auntie Ardella when we visited Wishek. We always had “coffee” time together and she always had homemade goodies to share with us. I especially enjoyed seeing her latest crafts and sewing projects and have a few of them that I treasure. She accompanied the Sayler sisters as they presented songs at our Family Reunions and also all her siblings and inlaws when they sang a family favorite song “How Great Thou Art.” Loved her laughter and kindness and will miss her smile.
One Thanksgiving at our house, after stuffing ourselves with the Thanksgiving bounty, someone proposed we go for a walk around our neighborhood. Ardella agreed but then asked plaintively, “couldn’t we just take the car?” We all howled!
Bob and Lois Mauch
We knew Eunice would be well cared for in Ardella’s company and she always had tales of the best summer ever when we picked her up for return to California.
She’ll be missed.
I’ll miss having you at my shows. I don’t know if I ever told you that you helped cultivate my love of theater because you always took me to Cole’s shows, and you were so encouraging when I started performing. One of my favorite memories is when I brought you on-stage during Music Man. You were such a good sport! You’d be so proud to see Breckin following in our theatrical footsteps. He dedicated opening night of Rock of Ages to you. I know you were there in spirit.
Looking through the family photos, I found one of you teaching the kids to make knoeffla soup. You’d be so proud of the great cook Caitlin is becoming. I wish you got to try some of the food she makes. I really wonder what you’d think of her spinach knoeffla! 😊
Family was always so important to you, and you never defined it by blood or marriage. I wish you got to meet Miles. I know you would have adored him as much as the rest of us do. I also know you’ll continue to be with all of us in spirit. There’s comfort in that, but it doesn’t make me miss you any less.
I love you, Grandma.