Elsie McFall, 89, Minot, died Tuesday, September 15, 2009 in a Minot Nursing Home.

Elsie was born November 12, 1919 on a farm near Drake, the daughter of Josef and Emma (Strege) Riba. She moved to Minot at the age of 13, and worked as a waitress at the Grand Hotel and Cafe. She also worked at the Waverly in her younger years, and managed the Record Shop on Main Street, which set up her life-long love for Big Band music, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Louis Armstrong.

She met Robert McFall and they were married January 17, 1942 in Wolf Point, MT, while Robert was enroute to serve his country in the Navy at Astoria, OR. While he was in the Navy, they lived at Corpus Christi, TX, Chicago and Norfolk, VA. While in Chicago, she worked for the Fred Harvey Co as a waitress at Union Station. They lived on the West side of Chicago, while Robert taught young Navy personnel radio transmissions skills on the second floor of the Chicago Theatre on State Street and at the Navy Pier.

Upon receiving his discharge, they returned to Minot, where they worked together at a record store and then operated Commcenter (later, Magic Mile) TV repair shop. Elsie took a second job at the Kmart when it opened in the early 1970's. Together they also started an Auction sales business under the name of 83 Auction. After Robert died November 21, 1972, Elsie closed the TV Repair business and went to work for Kmart full time. Elsie remarried in August of 1977 to Earl Francis. He died later that year.

She left Kmart in 1976 to manage ABC Kiddy Shop on Main Street, until the store was later transitioned to a Women's lingerie shop, called H.W. Gossard Store, where she managed the store for several years until it closed. She worked several years at the Country Lanes Restaurant in the Town & Country Shopping Center, before returning to Kmart for a short time. She spent the last final working years at First District Health Unit as a lab assistant, working there for 15 years until retiring at the age of 84. After developing dementia in 2007, she had resided at Emerald Court, until recently moving to the Trinity Homes. She was proud to be able to witness the graduation of her grandson, Brandon this past spring, which made her very proud.

Elsie loved gardening and very active in a number of organizations. Some of these included the American Legion Auxiliary, where she served as president for a number of years and marched in a number of parades with the groups color guard. She was also active with the VFW Auxiliary, Eagles Auxiliary and Women of the Moose. She was instrumental in starting the Magic City Singles Club in the 1980's. She also served as a Girl Scout leader for a number of years.

Surviving family includes: son, Larry McFall, Minot, daughter, Sherry McFall & husband, Kenneth Porrello, Highland Park, Illinois, grandson, Brandon McFall, Minot, nephew, Bernard Callies, Detroit, MI, nieces, Videl (Robert) Lavette, Sun City West, AZ, Judy (Bruce) Cameron, Palm Desert, CA along with several other nieces and nephews.

At Elsie's request, there will not be a service, however friends may sign a memorial register book on Monday from Noon-5:00p.m. in Thomas Family Funeral Home, Minot. Interment rites will be private.
Memorials are preferred to the Alzheimer's Association of America, 225 N. Michigan Ave, floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601 or the Minot American Legion Auxiliary.