Marcella (Delva) Befort

Marcella Befort, age 102, passed away on May 3, 2023 at the Zumbrota Care Center.  She lived the first 100 years of her life on the family farm just outside Bellechester, Minnesota.  Marcella was born to Joseph and Susan Peters Delva on July 25, 1920.  She married James Befort in 1954, and he died in 1974.

Marcella was a successful farmer who personally worked the land and animals for more than eighty years.  For the last thirty years, she has farmed on shares with cousin and neighbor Don Strauss.  She was an accomplished horsewoman and a proud member of the Bellechester Saddle Club.  She was a lifelong member of St. Mary’s Catholic parish in Bellechester, and she loved to dance.

Marcella resided at the Zumbrota Care Center for the last two years.  She is preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Susan, and by her husband, Jim.  She is survived by Jim Ziska who lived and worked with Marcella for more than 60 years.

A funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, May 9 at St. Mary’s Church in Bellechester at 10:30 am., preceded by visitation beginning at 9:30 am.  Burial will be in St. Mary’s Catholic Church Cemetery, Bellechester.