Orline Senske

Orline B. Senske, age 84, of Perham , MN , passed away Tuesday, September 30, 2008 , at the Perham Memorial Nursing Home after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.


Orline Bernice Schmidt was born in Hewitt , Minnesota , on March 18, 1924 . She was the daughter of Robert and Antonia (Peipcorn) Schmidt. She was the second youngest of six children. Her siblings, Verle Cluever, Harvin, Chester , Winifred, and Cecil have all preceded her in death.



Orline attended school in Hewitt through the eighth grade and moved to Perham with her parents shortly thereafter. She worked as a nanny for a physician in Wadena , MN , for a couple of years before getting married. She was united in marriage to William E. Senske, from rural Perham, in October 1943 at St. Paul ’s Lutheran Church and lived in the same home in rural Perham until moving into the nursing home in 2000 due to her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. Her husband, William, preceded her in death in July 1992.



Not only was Orline a constant caregiver to her family but also cared for the residents of the Perham Memorial Nursing Home during her 20 plus years as an occupational therapy aide. She enjoyed her work immensely and continued in the caregiver role to other residents even after she was admitted as a resident. She was a lifelong member, and very active, in the St. Paul ’s Lutheran Church and continued to volunteer at the Nursing Home after retiring in 1989. Orline was named Citizen of the Year in 2002 by the Perham Lions Club.



Orline is survived by her two sons, Gary (Carol) Senske, Perham , MN ; and Marlow (Betty) Senske, Dallas , TX ; four grandchildren, nine great grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.