Selma Judith Femrite was born Friday, July 6, 1906, to Nels and Laura (Hammer) Helgeson in the family home south of Dawson. She was baptized and confirmed at the Riverside Lutheran Church in Dawson. Music was very important to their family and every child played an instrument. Her school experiences started in the rural school near their home and ended with graduation from the Morris Ag School. While in high school she played piano for silent movies and was part of a dance band. She moved to Minneapolis and worked as a drapery maker for Daytons and Frenches.
She married Manford Femrite on June 3, 1933, and lived on a farm north of Dawson until 1975, when they built their current home. They raised two children, Duane and Sharilyn.
She will be remembered for her sewing, baking and cooking. She was a farm wife and was cook for farm crews and always had homebaked goodies in their delivered field lunches. She was very active in Lac Qui Parle Lutheran Church, serving as a Sunday School teacher and superintendent, and had leadership in many Ladies Aid functions. Her dream was fulfilled, by her encouragement and saving money, that both children should go to college. She enjoyed being a hostess, especially to her grandchildren. Many winters were spent in their second home in Texas, getting away from the cold and snow.
In April of 1998, she became a resident of Johnson Memorial Home, where she remained until her death on Wednesday, November 22, 2000, at the age of 94.
She is survived her children, Duane (Emelie) Femrite of Bloomington and Sharilyn (Doug) Bates of Dawson; grandchildren, Mark (Sarah) Femrite, Shari (Dan) Sjostrand, Shauna (Steve) Menning, and Jedd Bates; great-grandsons, Ryan and Brandon Sjostrand; brother, Oscar Helgeson of Dawson; several brother and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, other family and many friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Manford on July 17, 1992; and brothers: Art, Clarence, Leonard, and Helmer Helgeson.