Valborg (Stene) Harpestad was born June 21, 1919, in Naeroy Namdalen, Norway, to Johan and Agnete (Hansen) Stene. She died Thursday, December 19, 2002, at University Community Hospital, Tampa, Florida, with her daughter Linda at her side, at the age of 83 years, 5 months, and 28 days. Valborg emigrated from Norway to her brother Arnfinns farm near Worthing, South Dakota, in 1949. On November 26, 1951, she eloped and married Olaf Harpestad in Hendricks, Minnesota. The Harpestads lived on a farm in the Bruce area, retiring from farming in 1975 when they moved into Estelline. In 1984, after Olaf died, Valborg moved to Tampa, Florida, where she lived with daughter Linda and family. She had spent the last two and a half years in two nearby nursing care centers.Valborg was a former member of Grace Lutheran Church in Bruce, and Trinity Lutheran Church in Estelline. She was a life long member of the Sons of Norway. Survivors include three daughters: Esther (Clifford) Thomas of Morgan Hill, California, Arlene (David) VanKekerix of Spanaway, Washington, and Linda (Barton) Johnson of Tampa, Florida; five grandchildren: Crystal (Gary) Enriquez, Annie Marie VanKekerix, Marc Lee VanKekerix, Robert Olaf Johnson, and Joel Cooke Johnson; one great grandson: Austin Enriquez; two sisters: Kathinka Fjerring and Sigrid Solbakk, both of Norway; sister-in-law, Ruth Stene, of Norway; a brother-in-law, Kare Solbakk of Norway; and numerous nieces and nephews in the United States and Norway. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and two brothers, Herman and Arnfinn.