Horace F. Borchert

Horace F. Borchert

Horace Fredrick Borchert
May 8, 1924 - February 5, 2019

Horace grew up on a farm in Valley City, N.D., as the middle child of 7. In the heat of August 1944, he was drafted into the Army to serve our country during WWII. He was a section sergeant in the 19th Infantry Regiment in Japan, involved in the battle at Luzon. In this capacity, he acted as a section leader commanding two squads of seven men, each with an 81 MM mortar, supervising training in this and other weapons. He demonstrated and gave lectures on the care and use of weapons and corrected men making errors while in practical training. He assigned men to the various duties on the gun crews and in maneuvers was responsible for the positioning of the guns and the efficiency of the crews operating them. Decorations and citations include: Army of Occupation Medal (Japan), Philippine Liberation Medal with one bronze service star, Victory Medal, Asiatic Pacific Service Medal and Good Conduct Medal. He was discharged late in August 1946 in time to enroll in Valley City State Teacher’s College.
He became a science teacher, and taught chemistry and biology at the high school and junior college levels before moving to Havre, Mont., to teach biological sciences at Northern Montana College in 1959. During his 29-year tenure, he taught 7 different areas of biology, plus physical and earth sciences, primarily anatomy and physiology, for the nursing program. He completed his master’s degree from the University of Colorado and his Ph.D. from Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont.
Some of his hobbies included camping, fishing, woodworking, gardening, reading and doing Sudoku puzzles. He was a longtime member of First Lutheran Church in Havre, Kiwanis Club of Havre, a lifetime member of Veterans of Foreign Wars and a member of Legion Post 11.
His greatest pleasures were spending time with his children, and watching his grandchildren grow and mature into adulthood.
Horace was preceded in death by his wife (Jeanette), parents (Otto and Miriam), 3 brothers (Warren, Allen, David) and 1 sister (Eleanor). He is survived by 2 brothers (Theodore and Duane), his 3 children Laroy Borchert (Marie), Lael Ito (Roger), and Lanell Peterson (Eric), 10 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandson.