Idelle Dryer Foss, 92, of Penn, ND, passed away on Thursday, June 4, 2026.
With her special nieces and nephews, Jeff & Sandy Foss and family; Julie & Randy Schemionek and family; Deb Dreyer and Mike & Susan Dreyer beside her to ease her journey home, Idelle joined her loving husband, Lloyd, in heaven.
Idelle was born Sep. 16, 1933, in Rugby, ND. Idelle and her parents, Herbert Dreyer and Agnes (Larson) Dreyer lived in Willow City, ND. Idelle was baptized in Willow City and when she was nine months old she and her parents moved to a farmstead north of Penn, ND.
Idelle attended 12 years of school in Churchs Ferry, ND, and two years of college in Minot, ND. After college she came home to teach in Pelican Township school where she taught for five years.
In 1953, on her way home from school one day she had a flat tire and a man by the name of Lloyd Foss helped her change the tire. After a short courtship Lloyd and Idelle were married on March 19, 1954, and took a honeymoon to Grand Forks, ND. They lived in Devils Lake for a short time where Idelle continued to teach for two years at Willard’s School and one year at Sowatski school and Lloyd farmed.
After the death of Idelle’s father, Herbert, Idelle quit teaching and started farming alongside her husband, Lloyd. They moved a new home onto the farm north of Penn in 1965 where they lived and farmed side by side until Lloyd’s health declined in 2004.
In 2011 when the rising waters of Devils Lake took out the power to the farmstead, Idelle was forced to move to Devils Lake.
Idelle’s nephews, Justin & Ryan Schemionek had the house lifted and moved to higher ground away from the flood water of Devils Lake. This was a very difficult time in Idelle’s life to watch everything her and Lloyd had built be dismantled because of the rising water of Devils Lake.
In April of 2023 Idelle’s health forced her to move to Fargo where she could receive the care she needed and be closer to her nephew, Jeff Foss and his family.
Idelle was a member of St. Paul in Penn and later was a member of the Norway church. When the Norway church was moved and set down on the shores of Devils Lake and became St. Olaf Retreat Center Lloyd and Idelle became members of the St. Olaf Luthern Church in Devils Lake.
For over 40 years Idelle was involved and a member of the Pelican Home makers, Hope Garden Club and the Churchs Ferry Birthday Club.
Idelle’s funeral will be 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at St. Olaf Lutheran Church, the corner of 6th St. and 6th Ave. NE in Devils Lake, with a time of fellowship in the church basement to follow.