Sometimes things come your way that stops you cold in your tracks. Tonight is one of those nights. I am writing about Joyce (Spanier) Borash, a 1987 graduate of Belgrade-Elrosa high school. She was the most-decorated Redmen girls' athlete in Belgrade prior to the athletic pairing with Brooten. In August 1991, just a couple months after Joyce graduated from the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, she married Wayne Borash of Sobieski. On May 21, 1994, Joyce and Wayne's marriage was blessed with their firstborn child, Rebecca. Two years after that, their first son was born, Jacob. In 1997, their next son, Aaron, was born.
Then tragedy struck the Borash family.
On February 24, 1998, Rebecca died following a farm accident. Rebecca was three years, nine months old.
The Borash family relied on faith, family and friends and persevered in the wake of that tragic, unimaginable loss. I can't even begin to understand the horror. I don't want to. Fast forward many years, and their daughter Megan (born in November 2000) became a Morrison County Dairy Princess in 2019. It was part of numerous accomplishments that are a part of their family. The Borash family did not let tragedy take them down.
News of any farm tragedy, even one from 25-plus years ago, haunts me and generally stops me cold.
Joyce is a 2024 nominee to the B-B-E Hall of Fame. She is the sixth HOF nominee that I'm writing about. We'll see how it all comes together for the September 5 issue.
