Minnie
Bjerke, 90
Thief
River Falls - Minnie Bjerke, 90, died on
Monday, May 19, 2003 at Northwest Medical Center,
CNC Unit, in Thief River Falls.
Funeral
services were held on Saturday, May 24 at St. John
Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls with the Rev.
Donald Kirchner officiating. Elaine Idso was the
organist and Margaret Lee was the soloist.
Casketbearers were Jeff Vigstol, Rod Vigstol, Tim
Bjerke, David Bjerke, Jerry Bjerke, John Forsberg
and Ryan Brang. Interment was in Greenwood Cemetery
in Thief River Falls.
Minnie
Helen Rode was born on May 17, 1913, the daughter
of Fred and Marie (Klostriech) Rode, in Wentworth,
S.D. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran
faith and attended school in the Red Lake Falls
area. She worked for area farm families.
On
October 29, 1939, she was united in marriage to
Julian Hanford Bjerke in Red Lake Falls. The couple
made their home in Thief River Falls for a short
time. They moved to Duluth, where they lived for
three years. They returned to the family farm,
where Julian raised turkeys and farmed with his
father on the Bjerke homestead. Minnie worked as a
cook and caterer at various places in Thief River
Falls. She enjoyed bowling, gardening, quilting,
fishing and raising wild turkeys and pheasants. She
was well known in the area for her baked goods and
lefse. Every year at the Christmas Church Bazaar,
she supplied her lefse, Swedish tea rings and other
baked goods. She was a member of St. John Lutheran
Church, where she was active in the Ladies Aid. She
was also a member of the American Legion and the
VFW Auxiliary.
Survivors
include four children, Duane (Arlene) of Thief
River Falls, Diana Vigstol of Red Lake Falls,
Donald of Forest Lake, and Darla (Richard) Taddy of
Boulder City, Nev.; nine grandchildren; 17
great-grandchildren; one brother, Johnny (LuAnn)
Rode of Coos Bay, Ore.; one sister, Martha Casavan
of California; and many nieces and
nephews.
Minnie
was preceded in death by her husband, twin
granddaughters, one great-granddaughter, three
sisters and four brothers.
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