Georgia Grinaker

Georgia’s service will be livestreamed below at 2:00 PM on Friday, February 28, 2025:

A time of sharing will be livestreamed at 1:30 PM on Friday, February 28, 2025:

Georgia Grinaker died peacefully on February 21, 2025, in Fargo, ND, a day shy of 96 years old.

Georgia Dusek was born on February 22, 1929, in a farmhouse north of Bremen, ND. She shares a birthday with her namesake, George Washington.

Georgia was fourth of six children and liked working outside with her dad. Raised during the Depression, she liked hunting gophers to make money.

In one defining moment as a small child Georgia lost her ability to speak after being scared by two large hunting dogs. It took quite a while to learn to speak again; meanwhile she developed her own language with her sister. Virginia could interpret for her at Walhalla School #3 which was 2 ½ miles across the prairie from their farm.

As a teenager Georgia attended St. James Academy in New Rockford, ND, where she spoke highly of the nuns. After school she worked at the New Rockford Hospital. She escorted patients with towels wrapped around their injuries, got their name for the records, and cleaned up with a mop afterwards.

Her family moved to Fargo, ND and Georgia completed her junior and senior year at Central High School. Georgia joined the synchronized swimming team and performed at Island Park. Her softball team, the Twinettes, played in the women’s world championship tournament in San Antonio, TX in 1950.

Georgia had a variety of jobs at places like The Dutch Maid, Builders Supply Company, and The Great Northern Railroad where there were 40 desks side by side in one room. As a perk, she could travel anywhere on the trains.

She met Gordon Grinaker at the Moorhead, MN armory when he asked her to dance. They married on February 16, 1953, in St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fargo. They were together until Gordon passed at age 99 in 2017.

With a passion for travel, Gordon and Georgia spent their first year of marriage traveling across the United States. After seeing the newly invented golf cart, they started Grinaker Autoette in Fargo.

They began farming west of Hickson, ND in 1960, while they raised their four children. During two winters in the mid-1960s they packed up the kids in the station wagon and moved to Tucson, AZ, to improve their son’s respiratory health.

Although she did not have a formal education, she would often help others navigate legal or financial matters. She was active in the Kindred School PTA, and Homemakers. She was also a 4-H Leader (and in 4-H herself as a child) and FFA supporter. She was a founding member of St Maurice’s Catholic Church in Kindred.

They moved to south Fargo in 1991 where she was a volunteer tax preparer, an active member at Nativity Catholic Church, and a volunteer at the Fargo Senior Center. She led senior fun bus tours and enjoyed teaching computer classes.

It was important to Georgia to be kind, work hard, help others and offer an endless supply of chocolate chip cookies.

Georgia is survived by her sister: Stella Baumler, children: Gary (Rhonda) Grinaker of Bismarck, ND, Betty (Bryon) Thom of Edgeley, ND, and Diane Gasal (Bill Evans) of Bellevue, WA; her grandchildren: Krista Thom (Alex Lowenstein), Nicole (Brad) Schanche, Grayson Grinaker, Ashlee (John) Schaeffer and Tyler Bader; and great-grandchildren: Annika Schanche, Elektra Lowenstein, Xavier Thom, and Haylee and Luke Schaeffer. Georgia dearly loved her nephews and nieces: Mary (Tom) Paulsen, Sandy (Ray) Anderson, Larry (Gail) Bakko, Mary Baumler, Sharon Baumler, Jon (Lisa) Baumler, and Rick (Elizabeth) Baumler – and many grand nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Gordon Grinaker; her son, Dennis Grinaker; her parents, Theophil and Nellie Dusek; and her siblings, Walter Dusek, Wencil Dusek, Virginia Robertsdahl, and Lester Dusek.

All are welcome to join the family (or watch on livestream) on Friday, February 28, 2025, at Nativity Church of Fargo, 1825 11th St S, Fargo, ND. – 1:00 PM Visitation; 1:30 PM Sharing of Memories; 2:00 PM Mass of Christian Burial followed by lunch.

Final resting place is at north Holy Cross Cemetery in Fargo, ND.