Shirley Bertsch

Shirley J. Bertsch, age 84, passed away on December 15, at her home in Willmar, surrounded by family.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 19, at the Ashley Baptist Church in Ashley, North Dakota. Interment will be at the Ashley City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. with family devotions at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 16. at the Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar. Visitation will continue for one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials be made to the Ashley Baptist Church or the Ashley Medical Center in Ashley, North Dakota.

Shirley Jean Bertsch was born October 27, 1932, in Willmar, Minnesota, the daughter of Ole and Irene (Cooper) Kallevig. She grew up on a farm in Willmar, attended country school, and graduated from Willmar High School in 1950. Following high school, she enrolled in the Rice Memorial Hospital school of Practical Nursing, and graduated in 1952 as an LPN.

Shirley took a job at the McIntosh County Memorial Hospital in Ashley, North Dakota as one of the first three nurses (Shirla & Gladys) to start in the new hospital, from 1952 until 1955. On November 25, 1955, Shirley was united in marriage to Roonie Elton Bertsch. She spent the next 2 years (while Roonie was in the Army) working in Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma where she worked at different hospitals, where Roonie was stationed.

In 1957, following Roonie's military service, they took over the family farm in McPherson County, South Dakota. Then in 1979, they purchased the Coast to Coast Store in Ashley, North Dakota. On August 23, 1994, Roonie passed away. Shirley continued to run the hardware store for 3 more years. At that time she sold the store to Link Golz and retired. In August of 2014, Shirley moved to Willmar to live with her daughter Gail.

She belonged to Ashley Baptist Church, faithful on the serving committee and as Sunday school secretary. She enjoyed bus tours, reading, walking, biking, coffee and music as well as the good company of neighbors and friends.

Shirley is survived by two daughters, Gail Bertsch of Willmar, MN and Nancy (and Albert) Thompson of Beaver Dam, WI.; and three grandsons, Kyle, Ryan and Bryce Thompson. Also surviving are two sisters, Marvis Devereaux of Excelsior, MN. and Myra (and Darrell) McGarvie of Belgrade, MN; and one brother, Gerald (and Jean) Kallevig of Belgrade; besides several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Roonie Bertsch and a brother-in-law, Roger Deveraux.

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