- Date Of Death: June 24, 2007
- State: Minnesota
Bertha Mabel Erickson, the daughter of Ida (Borgen) and Oscar Erickson, was born at home on August 23, 1912 in Nereson Township of Roseau County. She was educated through the eighth grade at the Sunshine School in Nereson Township, two miles from her childhood home.
Bertha was 16 when she first left home to work. She helped the neighbor lady who just had a baby. She helped on neighbors farm and also out in Dakota in the potato fields. Bertha met Lowie Johnson when he had come to the neighborhood to teach school. They were engaged Christmas of 1935 and married June 6, 1936. They lived in Garland community in the town of Nereson for a few years while Lowie taught school. Later, with their 4 children, they moved to Greenbush and to Skime and back to the home farm among many other school districts before settling on a farm south of Malung School. Lowie taught in Malung for 20 years.
In 1971 they moved to Bremerton, Washington. Bertha worked in a factory sewing jackets and Lowie at a Sears Store. They moved to Greenbush, then to Badger in 1972. Then Lowie was teaching in Greenbush and suddenly died of a heart attack on August 13, 1974. Bertha remained in Badger from 1972- 1990 and worked at the Northwest Community Action and living in the Badger Creek Apartments. In 1990, she moved to North Star in Roseau until October of 2005 when she became ill and moved in with Percy and Sandra. She became a resident of Sheltering Oaks Manor on July 25, 2006.
Bertha was a member of Our Redeemers Lutheran Church in Badger. She was very active in this church and its organizations. She later attended Moe Lutheran Church after moving to Roseau in September of 1990. Bertha enjoyed sewing, making lefsa, gardening, writing, helping others and being the “funny grandma,” Santa and the Easter Bunny. She was a wonderful, caring person and helped many over the years when they were sick. She mostly enjoyed making her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren and even great-great-grandchildren laugh at her funny song and dance.
Bertha passed away on June 24, 2007 at the Sheltering Oaks Manor at the age of 94.
She is survived by her children, Beverly Strandlie Pearson (Don R.) of Sahuarita, AZ, Virgil (Donna) Johnson of Roseau and Sandra (Percy) Erickson of Roseau; 11 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; 4 great-great-grandchildren; brother, Norman Erickson of Karlstad; sister, Evelyn Waage of Greenbush and many other relatives. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Lowie; son, Lamar; grandson, Jody; infant great-grandson; sister, Gladys and brothers, Irvin and Walter. She was loved by all who came to know her. She will be greatly missed.
