DeLora (Maas) Kilber

DeLora Mae Kilber, 90, of Hazen, ND, passed away on May 1, 2026, at Sakakawea Medical Center in Hazen. Services will be held at 10:00 AM CDT on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Hazen with Pastor Heide officiating. Burial will follow at St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery, rural Hazen. Visitation will be held at the church one hour prior to the service.

DeLora was born on August 27, 1935, and raised on the family farm north of Hazen as the only child of her parents, Hertha and Emil Maas. She was a member of St. James Lutheran Church of Krem. After attending the Krem Elementary School and graduating from Beulah High School in 1953, she began a new chapter when she married Loren Kilber on October 9, 1953, at Zion Lutheran Church in Beulah. Together, they were blessed with three children: Jeff, Cammy, and Kenyon.

 Her early years of marriage were defined by adventure and service. During the mid-to-late 1950s, DeLora joined Loren during his service in the U.S. Army 20th Engineer Battalion, stationed in Watertown, NY, and Leominster, MA. Upon returning to North Dakota, the couple spent several decades owning and operating several small businesses in Underwood and Hazen. In the early 1970s, they returned to their roots, moving back to DeLora’s family farm where they worked the land together until the early 2000s.

DeLora’s nurturing spirit and commitment to service extended well beyond her family throughout her entire life. For seventeen years, she was a compassionate professional caregiver at The Pioneer Park Retirement Home and Senior Suites, yet her work in the community began long before. For decades, she was a dedicated volunteer and fundraiser for the Hazen Community Chest, the American Cancer Society, the Heart Fund, and Multiple Sclerosis Association. This spirit of giving continued well into her later years, as she remained a constant, familiar face at Senior Suites, volunteering her time there for many years after her formal retirement. She was also actively involved in her homeowners association for the majority of the time she and Loren lived in their retirement home.

DeLora had many interests and hobbies. She was a gifted musician who served as an organist for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church for over five years, and remained an active member of the St. Matthew congregation for over sixty years. Whether she was immersed in a book, meticulously working on a knitting or embroidering project, or playing games with family or friends, she brought a sharp mind, quick wit and a warm heart to everything she did. She especially looked forward to her weekly board game sessions with her neighbors.

Her kitchen was a place of legendary hospitality, where she proved to be an equally gifted German cook and an exceptional baker. Her family fondly recalls that a meal wasn’t truly complete without one of her signature sweets—a tradition she upheld with a dessert for every lunch and supper. Her vast collection of cookbooks stands as a testament to her lifelong joy in creating a welcoming home for those she loved.

The greatest joy of DeLora’s life was her 65-year marriage to Loren and the family they built together. She viewed the health and happiness of her children and grandchildren as her life’s richest blessing and was the steady, loving foundation of their lives.

DeLora is survived by her three children, Jeff (Julie) Kilber, Cammy (Dean) Bray, and Kenyon (Jay) Kilber; four grandchildren, Lindsey (Adam) Salzer, Alex (Georgia) Bray, Nicole (Dan) Teske, and Heather Kilber; brothers-in-law, Albert (Marguerite) and Robert Kilber; sister-in-law, Ardis; numerous nieces and nephews; and special cousins Avis (Al) Pedersen and Wayne (Debbie) Rahn.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Loren; her parents, Hertha and Emil Maas; her parents-in-law, Amalie and Martin Kilber; sisters-in-law, Alice, Helen, Elsie, Wilma, and Irene; brothers-in-law, Elmer, Martin Jr., Edgar, Arnold Bohrer, and Walter Mohl; a niece, Tracy; and a nephew, Robert.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be directed to the Bismarck Cancer Center, St. Matthew Lutheran Church and the American Legion.

Arrangements are conducted by Barbot Funeral Home, Beulah and Hazen.

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