Bernetta (Swenson) Velde

Bernetta Teigen Velde died on Sunday, November 29, 1998 at the Luther Haven Nursing Home in Montevideo at the age of 83.

Funeral services will be conducted on Thursday, December 3, 1998 at 1:30 PM at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Montevideo with Rev. Douglas Olson officiating.  Burial will be in the Sunset Memorial Cemetery.

Visitation will be Wednesday afternoon and evening and with the family from 7 - 8 PM at the Anderson Funeral Home in Montevideo.

Bernetta Swenson was born on January 13, 1915 in Chippewa Co., MN to Hans and Josephine (Laumb) Swenson.  She attended rural schools until the age of 13, when she was stricken with polio. She spent a year at Gillette Hospital in St. Paul, MN where she completed the 8th grade and was confirmed there.  She later received her GED high school diploma.  On May 10, 1936 she was united in marriage to Oscar Teigen at the Big Bend Parsonage. Following Oscar’s death in 1970 she was united in marriage to Kenneth Velde in 1981.  He died in 1992.  She was an active member of Our Savior’s Lutheran church, a member of the Elisabeth circle, taught Sunday School and was a charter member of the Altar Guild.  She was a member of the VFW Auxiliary, Sons of Norway, worked as a nurse’s aid, was a local election judge and worked at Jebbs Café and the sweet corn factory.  She was called “Bestemor” by her grandchildren, which means grandma in Norwegian.

She is survived by one son, Dale Teigen and his wife Marlene of Coon Rapids, MN; one daughter, Bonna Jean Dougherty and her husband Tom of Atlanta, GA; five grandchildren: Andrea (Andrew) Beede of Coon Rapids, MN, Robert (Alma) Teigen of Ramsey, MN, Kathy (Gary) Mansergh of Andover, MN, Patrick Dougherty and Sarah Dougherty of Atlanta, GA; two great-grandchildren: Carolynne and Paul Beede; one brother, Ted Swenson of Danvers, MN;  two sisters-in-law: Bernice Swenson of Colorado and Alma Swenson of Montevideo; as well as by numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands Oscar in 1970 and Kenneth in 1992; three sisters: Hazel Bjorngeld, Gertie Brooks and Sylvia Tengval; and five brothers: John, Harry, Martin, Rudy and Gust Swenson.