Cora was born and raised in Van Hook, ND. The northwestern town of Van Hook increased in population when Lake Sakakawea was formed. Her parents were farmers and raised Cora and her brother and sister there.
Cora, like many young adults, was not sure what she wanted to do after graduating from high school. Her friend, Gloria (Traynor) Helms (1995 Alumna of the Year), was attending NDSSS so she decided to go with her. She really enjoyed her time at NDSSS and going to the dances in Breckenridge on the weekends.
After graduating from NDSSS, she returned home. Shortly after, Cora received a letter from NDSSS placing her with the Health Department at the State Capital in Bismarck, ND. She worked there for a short time and then accompanied her parents to Norway for a three-month visit. When they returned, she took a job in Grand Forks for four years and then in Minot for a year. It was there she met James, her husband and best friend of 62 years. Cora and James farmed south of Parshall, ND and raised their four daughters. She helped her husband - and drove truck and tractor too! She and her husband were definitely partners in life and their farming operation.
She is also very proud of her grandson, Joshua Boschee. He is a NDSCS Automotive Technology alumni. He participated in the Skill-USA-VICA contest all three years he attended NDSCS. Josh represented the state of ND at the National competition in Kansas City, MO in both 1999 and 2000. In 2001, Josh was a member of the Team-USA that placed fourth in the world based on contestant score average as they competed against 35 other countries. Josh placed silver in Automotive Service Technology and gold in "Best of Nation" individually. It was the best any American team had done in world competition. He went on to study Automotive Industry Management at CSU in Pueblo, CO.
Cora reconnected with the college after the death of her husband in 2015. She attended a summer meet & greet in Bismarck and enjoyed meeting other alumni and visiting about her time at NDSSS. She has since attended the meet and greet in Arizona and recently another in Bismarck. At the 2017 Bismarck Reunion, President Richman recognized Cora for her 70th Year Anniversary of her graduation from NDSSS.
When asked about her time at NDSSS, Cora said, “I loved it!”