Elaine Reinke, age 92 of Moorehead, MN, formerly of Hettinger, passed away on Saturday, October 23, 2011 at the Eventide Nursing Home in Moorhead, MN.

The Memorial Service for Elaine will be held at 1:00pm Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at the Hettinger Lutheran Church in Hettinger, ND. Pastor Kathleen Dettmann will officiate with the cremains being buried alongside her husband Gordon at the Hettinger Cemetery.

Elaine Weidenhoefer was born on June 17, 1919 on her grandparent's farm near Crookston, MN to the Reverend Ernest and Retta (Durkop) Weidenhoefer. She attended grade school in Elgin and graduated from Elgin High School in 1937.

She attended Christy's Beauty College in Bismarck, ND where she received her Beautician License.
In 1939, she was united in marriage to O. Gordon Reinke at Elgin, ND, with her father officiating. In 1946, Elaine and Gordon moved to Hettinger, ND, where Gordon served as Principal and later Superintendent of Hettinger Public School. In addition to raising three sons, they also ran Reinke's Studio for many years.

Following Gordon's death in 1981, Elaine remained in Hettinger, volunteering her time in the community. She formed the group Women Alone to provide a social outlet for widows and other women living alone. Elaine's volunteer work was recognized and honored on local, regional and state levels. In 1989 and 1997, she was honored as North Dakota Volunteer of the Year.

Elaine loved children and attended many of the Hettinger school activities. She always had candy in her purse to distribute to them. She was known by many in Hettinger as the "Hat Lady", for her love of beautiful hats.

In 2003 Elaine moved to Eventide Assisted Living Facility, Moorhead, MN to be closer to family in Fargo, ND.

She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law; sons, Bernnett and Nancy Reinke, Fargo, ND, Rod and Vickie Reinke, Arlington, TX; and Max and Doreen Reinke, Wahpeton, ND; four grandsons, Scott (Angela) Reinke, Fargo, ND, Travis (Julie) Reinke, Burleson, TX, Hunter (Jennifer) Reinke, Mesa, AZ and Ty Reinke, Wahpeton, ND and five great grandchildren, Payton, Alexandra, Logan, Colton and Sierra; and one brother and sister-in-law, Max and Janis Weidenhoefer, Bismarck, ND

Elaine was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her sister Martha Eisenbarth of Bismarck, ND.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be given to either the O.Gordon and Elaine Reinke Memorial Scholarship or to Women Alone of Hettinger.