Bessie Ruth Solberg

Bessie R. Solberg, 89 of rural Agate, North Dakota died on Monday morning, October 19, 2009 at the Towner County Living Center, Cando, ND. Funeral Services for Bessie will be held on Friday, October 23, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. at the Bisbee Lutheran Church, Bisbee, ND. Rev. Bonnie Weaver will officiate and burial will be in the Bisbee Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the Bisbee Lutheran Church on Friday beginning at 8:30 a.m. until time of services. Serving as Casket Bearers for Bessie will be Richard Bonn, Charles Bursinger, Steve Berg, Brent Kurtti, Larry Hendrickson and Brent Bonn. Bessie Ruth, the daughter of Owen and Bertha (Hookland) Solberg was born on January 9, 1920 at the farm in Rolette County, rural Agate, ND. Bessie would live almost her entire life on the farm where she was born and raised. She attended Pleasant Valley #4 school and graduated from Bisbee High School with the class of 1938. She spent about a year in Seattle, Washington working for Boeing during World War II. She returned to the family farm to care for her Dad and lived and worked on the farm alongside her brothers. Bessie was the dedicated farm woman who took on the responsibility of running the household. Bessie moved from the farm to the Towner County Living Center in the spring of 2008. Bessie was a baptized, confirmed, life member of the Bisbee Lutheran Church where she taught Sunday school for over 20 years. She was very active in the WELCA and was always very involved in any of the activities of the church and the Agate and Bisbee communities. Bessie’s love of family was very strong. The family homestead was the place for many large Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, family reunions, and birthday parties all hosted by Bessie. Her large extended family of several generations will treasure the memories of those events. Come spring, Bessie loved gardening. She always had a vegetable garden, but her passion was her large flower garden, supplying flowers for the church, family, and friends for many years. In the wintertime, she would make handmade rugs on her rug loom, which were appreciated by all who received them. Bessie was a very avid reader who always had a book at hand wherever she sat. She had traveled to Alaska, Hawaii, and other interesting places. Bessie was also, able to make two trips to Norway to her Father’s birthplace. Bessie is survived by her brother, Arthur Solberg of rural Agate. Many nieces, nephews and their families also survive. Bessie was preceded in death by her parents; siblings, Carl Solberg, Sivert Solberg, Anna Solberg, Albert Solberg, Iver Solberg, Thora Berg, Alice Kolberg, Benjamin Solberg, Owen Solberg and Tommy Solberg.