Where are they now? Adversity, athletics and appraisals define Vorland

Undoubtedly, Alicia Vorland loves nature in all of its forms. Many brilliant photos of landscapes, sunsets and flowers crowd the camera icon on her phone. She eagerly showed me these pictures at her lovely home on the west side of town, as she and I enjoyed a cup of coffee and a delicious homemade rhubarb dessert, my portion noticeably larger than hers. This is the charm of Alicia: a comfortable conversation about her appreciative regard for outdoor beauty coupled with rhubarb dessert for breakfast (my visit with her was at 8:00 a.m.!).

This New Rockford Class of 1966 graduate never slows down! Alicia talks proudly of the fact that she, her sister and her brother will have backpacked in the Beartooth Mountains, located in south central Montana, 38 consecutive years when they hike together again this coming August.

Tennis is another sport at the top of her list, and her athletic genes have passed onto her grandchildren, as some of them are exceptional tennis players. Alicia has also run in 11 marathons, including the Big Sur International along the California coastline and the New York City Marathon with 50,000 other runners. Because of an old skiing injury, she has traded running for biking.  

Perhaps her desire to keep in shape is rooted in her memories of not having the opportunity to play organized sports while she was growing up in the 1960s. In fact, she was told by a school administrator that she should quit running, or she would never be able to have babies! She was determined to become a physical education teacher after having Miss Lucas as her phy-ed instructor here in New Rockford.

Alicia earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in education at the University of North Dakota and taught for 9 years. While a student, she participated in collegiate basketball, field hockey, badminton and swimming.

She endured the transition of Title IX while she taught and coached girls' gymnastics. This 1972 federal law states that no one on the basis of sex can be denied participation from any type of educational program or activity that receives federal funding. "I had terrible fights with male chauvinists who coached boys' sports over the use of facilities, and I would have to schedule practice for the girls when the boys weren't using the gym," she sadly recalls. She was the first woman in the Bismarck school system allowed to show her pregnancy publicly with her first daughter Penny because the school desperately needed a gym coach. She was permitted only 4 days off to have her baby before coming back to school.

Alicia grew up with loving parents, Elizabeth and Erling Rolfson, Sr., who stressed education and religion. Her mother was born and raised in Alaska. She was an adventurous soul who ended up in North Dakota as a war bride. Her father worked on the Garrison Dam after World War II and ended up in New Rockford because his boss literally closed his eyes and pinned a town in North Dakota for Erling and his young family to locate.

After teaching and then working in the insurance and real estate fields, Alicia was an appraiser for over 37 years. She loved this job, but it was a challenging career. Because her specialty was appraising farmsteads, farmland and houses in small area towns, she averaged 60,000 miles annually on her odometer. Juggling at least 20 and sometimes even 40 appraisals, she put in very long hours. "I would hide my car and turn off the office lights so that people wouldn't comment on my crazy work hours!" Alicia admits. Alice Tillapaugh was the family's nanny for many years while the three Vorland girls were growing up, and she helped Alicia out significantly.

Another beneficial person in Alicia's appraisal career was Ardyce Snyder, Alicia's secretary, who was extremely competent and wonderful person to work with. Alicia sincerely states, "Ardyce is my favorite non-relative human being!"

Dean, who hails from Fessenden, and Alicia have been married for 50 years, and a Christmas celebration of this milestone anniversary will take place at Grand Cayman with their three daughters and families. Penny, who graduated from NRHS in 1989, is married to 1986 graduate Tim Birkeland. They live in Perham, Minn., and are the parents to four children. Lana graduated in 1990 and lives in Fargo with her husband Chad and two children. A 1993 NRHS graduate, Amy and her New Jersey Italian husband live in Vermont with their three sons. Dean and Alicia's grandchildren range in age from five to 20 years old. It is interesting to note that both Penny and Lana are appraisers like their mother was. Amy has worked for such notable magazines as Elle and Runner's World, and she now works with her husband in his online educational software business.

Alicia's philosophy of the value of life has deepened after she was involved in a one-car accident that totaled her car last year. Singing has been a saving grace for her, and she continues to sing for the residents at the Lutheran Home of the Good Shepherd. Travel has become a huge priority to her, and she wants to take a trip to wherever she can. So far, she has toured some very fascinating regions, including Patagonia, Norway, Spain, Israel, Greece, Alaska, Mexico and Egypt. Interested in seeing Egypt first-hand after she became friends with Dina Anderson, a native Egyptian and also a U.S. citizen, Alicia says, "Comparing my 70 years of life to 7,000 years of Egyptian history makes me very humble." She intends to take four of her grandchildren to Egypt next June to celebrate each of their graduation with this educational experience.

Now retired from her career for about 4 years, Alicia has a clear recognition that "times have changed." She observed this when her youngest daughter had 8 weeks of paid leave for each of her three children's births. When St. James School was open in New Rockford, no inter-religious dating was allowed, and the advancement of change prominently occurred for Alicia when each of her three Lutheran daughters married Catholics! One of the most exciting changes with the times is that her granddaughters enjoy and excel in sports of their choice. Technology has forced Alicia to change her ways, too. If she didn't learn how to text, she would not be able to communicate with her grandchildren as often as she does! Change is good.

True to form, soon after I had finished my dessert breakfast, Alicia was scurrying off, trying to decide where to plant a new shrub she had purchased for the yard.