Berdella "Berdie" Johnson

Berdella's memorial service may be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/735987038

Berdella's tribute video may be viewed here: https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/GGLQ2NDQZFKXLBGP

On July 12, 2022, Mom was carried home in the arms of Jesus. She died after a brief stay at SMP Health – St. Catherine North (Rosewood on Broadway), under the care of Hospice, following a heart attack at the age of 98, surrounded by her family.

Berdella (Berdie) Margaret (Haugen) Johnson was born on November 22, 1923, on a farm near Kindred, ND. Her parents were Mabel (Peterson) and Peder Haugen. She was baptized on December 9, 1923, at home and confirmed on May 30, 1937, at Gol Aal (Grace) Lutheran Church in Wyndmere, ND. After graduating from Wyndmere High School in 1941, she moved to Minneapolis to attend Business College. She worked as a nanny for room and board while attending college. After graduation, she worked for a CPA and then Cargill. She married Donald E. Johnson on October 28, 1950, in a double wedding with her sister Elaine. They moved to Fargo in 1957, when Don accepted a job as the backfield football coach at NDSU. She spent many cold, rainy, snowy nights wrapped in blankets at the Dakota Football Field cheering on the BISON. Don died in 1993.

Berdie was a 65-year member of Messiah Lutheran Church. She worked as one of the church secretaries for several years. She was active in the church as a volunteer, teaching Sunday School, serving as president of WELCA, sewing and filling many school bags, filling health kits for Lutheran World Relief, attending supper club, and was also on the alter committee.

She left Messiah to work at Northport Dental Office as the bookkeeper for Dr. Hagen, Dr. Joyce, and Dr. Klemz. She did all the books by hand! According to mom, Northport Dental was an amazing place to work as her colleagues became lifelong friends. She retired after 19 years there.

She served as The Past State President of the ND Chapter of P.E.O. Sisterhood. Throughout her 54-year membership in P.E.O., Chapter V Fargo, she served in many roles as both an officer and committee member. She loved P.E.O. and all her “sisters,” who became her very good friends. They had so much fun traveling together to many state and international conventions.

She loved to travel and traveled extensively; to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark with her sisters, and to England, Scotland, and Wales with nine other women. She also spent at least a month in Arizona in the winter with LeAnn before she moved into Touchmark.

She moved into Touchmark 10 years ago after her first heart attack. At that time, she was given a year to live! She served on the Council for four years and on the welcoming committee. She participated in crafts, symphony, dinners, movies, socials, and of course, cards. She loved bridge, whist, and bingo. She was very competitive and LOVED it when she won the blackout at BINGO!! Her passion was crafting, as she didn’t sit without something in her hands to do. She loved to sew school bags, Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, decorated wreaths, ornaments, and almost any kind of craft. Over the years, she participated in many craft shows at Trollwood and Touchmark. She loved living at Touchmark!

Most of all, she loved her family. She attended most family activities. She was so proud of her grandkids and great-grandkids. Her competitiveness showed even when she played Yahtzee with her great-grandkids. Christmas was her favorite holiday. She loved decorating, entertaining with a perfectly set table, and always made everyone laugh as she sneakily opened her gifts out of turn! Her attitude of “she believed she could, so she did” left us with her legacy of incredible faith, living each day with gratitude and fierce determination. She was kind to everyone and always had a smile, an offer to help, and a thank you.
She is survived by her daughters: Kristy (Chuck), and LeAnn (James), grandchildren, Travis, Tyler (Lisa), Matthew (Sarah), Stefanie (Matt), Christofer, and two incredible great-grandchildren, Emily and Coby; her sisters, Elaine and Corrine; sisters-in-law Delores and Deanna, many nieces, nephews, cousins, and a good family friend Emy.

She was preceded in death by her husband Don, her parents, her sister Ione, nieces Nancy and Carla, her sisters-in-law, Florence, Doris, Gloria, her brothers-in-law Harvey, Bill, Joe, Jim, Mitchell, Clary, Carl, Eddie, and Richard.

We would like to especially thank Dr. Orson and Touchmark for their exceptional care for Mom over the years, and St Catherine (Rosewood) and Hospice of the RRV for mom’s brief end-of-life care.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the United Way of Cass Clay school supply drive in her honor. She made many, many school bags and filled them with school supplies. She was dedicated to kids having what they needed to be successful in school. Please put Berdella Johnson in the memo line, or direct donations to the family are also appreciated.

A memorial service will be held at Touchmark in Fargo on August 3, 2022, at 2:00 pm, with a visitation at 1:30 pm. Burial in Riverside Cemetery, Fargo, North Dakota.