Myrtle O. Bredeson

Mrs. Myrtle Olivia Handegaard Bredeson 100, a long-time resident of Hawley, Minnesota, died peacefully on August 21, 2015 at Manor Care in Fargo, North Dakota.

Myrtle was born on January 24, 1915, near Lake Park, Minnesota to the late Martin and Edith Backman Handegaard. She was preceded in death by her husband, H. Maurice Bredeson 1995 of Hawley, Minnesota; her daughter, Mary E. Bonhus 2013 of Mesa, Arizona; two sisters, Edna From Foss of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and Eleanor Hutcheson of Roswell, Georgia; and her brother, Donald Handegaard who was killed on D-Day, June 6, 1944, over Cherbourg, France.

Surviving are two sons, Einar Bredeson Jade of Hawley and Jon Bredeson Cheryl of Norman, Oklahoma, and a daughter, Barbara F. Shifflett Crandall of Blacksburg, Virginia. Ten grandchildren survive: Thomas Bonhus of Fargo, North Dakota; Scott Bonhus of Mesa, Arizona; Einar John Bredeson of Milford, New Jersey; Elizabeth Mullen of League City, Texas; Kirsten Radford of Radford, Virginia; Loren Bredeson of Pensacola, Florida; Craig Bredeson of California; Liesl Smith of Dallas, Texas; Michelle Bredeson of Loveland, Colorado; and Zachary W. Shifflett of St. Louis, Missouri. Thirteen great grandchildren and one great great grandchild survive also. She is also survived by two cousins, Lynn Sanborn and Ruth Lerud of Lake Park, Minnesota, and two nieces, Lois From Casey of Birmingham, Michigan, and Bonnie Anderson of Anchorage, Alaska.

Myrtle graduated from Hawley High School and then attended Concordia College in 1932-33 and Moorhead State Teachers College in 1933-34. She taught for two years in rural schools near Lake Park and Hawley before her marriage to Maurice in 1936. They farmed in Eglon Township and in 1943 they moved to Skree Township south of Hawley where they farmed until their retirement in 1984. She was a member of the North Skree Homemakers club and a leader for the Skree 4-H Club. Myrtle thoroughly enjoyed being a federal farm census taker in the 1950s and 1960s. Since 1936 Myrtle was a member of Solem Lutheran Church of Hawley where she was an active member of the ladies aid and Mary circle; she was a Sunday School superintendent and taught Sunday school classes.

Since 2000 Myrtle spent her summers living on the farm and her winters in Hawley. She enjoyed flowers, gardens, and walking on the farm and around town.

Visitation will be on Tuesday, August 25, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m., at Solem Lutheran Church, rural Hawley, MN.

Funeral will be Tuesday, August 25, at 2:00 p.m., at Solem Lutheran Church, rural Hawley, MN.

Interment: Solem Lutheran Church Cemetery