Corinne Shemorry

Corinne Shemorry liked to live life with flair, an innate part of her personality. She was particularly known for her interest in fashion, her lively jewelry and style, and especially her collection of hats, high heals and brightly colored fashionable clothes. Among her favorite possessions were her convertibles, her last one a fire-red Sebring she bought for herself for her 80th birthday. She firmly believed that age was just a state of mind, and she lived it with zest as one of the few working women and mothers at that time. Corinne Shemorry, 92, Grand Forks, and formerly of Williston, ND, died Monday, November 1, 2010, at Valley Memorial Homes, Woodside Village. Corinne Gweneathe Joynes was born January 24, 1918, in Rolla, ND, the daughter and first child of William Herbert and Edna Ruth (Conn) Joynes. She was raised and educated in Rolla where she graduated from high school in 1935. After graduation Corinne worked at the San Haven sanitarium at Dunseith, ND as an executive secretary. She then moved to Williston where she first worked as a waitress at the Luzon Café. She was later employed by Herman Zahl to sell advertising for the Williams County Farmers Press for "maybe $18 a month, maybe not." In the beginning of her career she returned from the ad beat with tears in her eyes over something cruel someone had said to her. Mr. Zahl responded with, "Well, girl, either dry your eyes or go home and stay in the kitchen!" She credited him for teaching her the basics of advertising and the knowledge she needed to run a newspaper. And she would learn what it meant to be a working woman in a man's world. Corinne married William E. (Bill) Shemorry on November 12, 1939, at Williston, ND. Together they founded and co-published the Williston Plains Reporter newspaper. Corinne also worked as a marketing director for the Williston Cooperative Credit Union until she retired in 1990. In addition she taught marketing classes at UND Williston for a number of years. She moved to Grand Forks in 2007. As part of the Williston Plains Reporter, Corinne was involved in nearly all aspects of getting a new business started and making it work. She did everything from covering feature stories, selling advertising, taking photographs, designing the layouts, organizing the bookkeeping, collect the bills, cleaning the front office and painting the furniture. The Plains Reporter, published weekly, competed with the Williston Daily Herald, as well as local television and radio stations, for the local advertising dollars. She was particularly proud when after campaigning to nearly every home in Williams County, the Reporter was elected as the official county newspaper. Corinne became an accomplished journalist receiving literally hundreds of awards for display advertising, photography, special sections, writing, special editions, etc. from the National Federation of Press Women, the North Dakota Press Women, the National Newspaper Association and the North Dakota Newspaper Association. She was named Outstanding Woman in Journalism-State of North Dakota in 1975. She also was the recipient of the Woman of Achievement Award in 1967 from the North Dakota Press Women. She was well known throughout Williams County for her personal column, "Confidentially by Corinne", and was capable of instigating quite an uproar throughout the community when she was so moved. She was proud of how hard she worked and her highest praise for a person was when she said, "He was always such a hard worker!" Corinne was the chairman of the Roughrider International Art Show, one of the top 25 events of its kind in the country, for 15 years. Survivors include her daughters, Jan (Bill) Lee, Grand Forks, ND and Gayle (David) Williamson, Hudson, WI; grandchildren, Anthony (Kristina) Lee, Overland Park, KS, Christopher (Andrea) Lee, Lincoln, NE, Lyndsay Lee, Hartford, CT, Kyle Williamson, Peter Williamson and Jonathan Williamson all of Hudson, WI; great grandchild, Brody Lee; brothers, Ernest Joynes, Longview, WA, Harold "Bud" Joynes, CA; sister, Hazel Jeannotte, Vancouver, WA. Corinne was preceded in death by her parents, sister, Kay; and brothers, Willis Joynes, Donald Joynes, Loren Joynes and Gary Joynes. Memorial services will be held at Valley Memorial Home at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 3. There will be a visitation with the family an hour before the service.