George (Tenny) T. Bjerke

George Tenny Bjerke, age 76, lifetime resident of the Bradley/Crocker communities, died in the Parkview Care Center at Bryant late Tuesday night, March 27, 2007. Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 2, 2007 at 10 AM in the Crocker Lutheran Church at Crocker with Minister Marion Grimes officiating. Burial will follow in the Calvary Lutheran Cemetery near Bradley. Music will be provided by Marvine Obermeier as organist with a duet of Marvine Obermeier and Wendy Christman singing "Precious Memories". There will also be special music presented by David Finstad and Wes Bjerke. The congregation will sing "Blessed Assurance" and "On the Wings of a Snow White Dove". Casketbearers will be his grandchildren: Sheila Bien, Kristi, Julie and Paul Tarbox, Neil, Raymond and Daniel Olson and Anna Postal. George Tenny Bjerke, the son of George and Ragna (Siggerud) Bjerke, was the 10th child born to the couple, thus the middle name Tenny. He attended country school west and south of Bradley at the Colgate School prior to attending Bradley School graduating in 1948. He was united in marriage to Joyce Riter in September of 1949. To this union three children were born, Timothy, Patricia and Susan. The couple lived and farmed near Bradley. They lived for about one year in the Rapid City area where he was employed at a filling station. Upon their return to the Bradley community he engaged in farming. The couple divorced after some 30 years of marriage. He has lived and farmed his entire life in the Bradley/Crocker area. Since 1998 he has lived off and on in the Parkview Care Center at Bryant. He served his country for a time in the US Navy. Some of his hobbies included music, both singing and listening, and playing the guitar. He was a part of the group "God's Country" since 1975 and also sang in the Men's Chorus at the Crocker Lutheran Church for many years. In earlier years he enjoyed hunting. Tenny was baptized and confirmed in the Calvary Lutheran Church where he attended until the church closed. He has since been a memeber of the Crocker Lutheran Church. Survivors include daughters, Patricia "Patty" Tarbox and husband Ken and Susan Olson and husband Don all of rural Bradley, 8 grandchildren, Sheila, Kristi, Julie, Paul, Neil, Raymond, Daniel and Anna, 8 great-grandchildren, Nathan, Alec, Siriana, Matthew, Emily, Dominick, Taylor and Karley. He also leaves 3 brothers, Gilman Bjerke of Clark, Richard Bjerke and wife Esther of Lily, Max Bjerke of Bradley, a sister, Myrtle Batenhorst and husband Gerald of Fritz, TX, a sister-in-law, Louise Bjerke of Clark and the children's Mother, Joyce Schoenbeck and husband Don of Watertown. Visitation will be held on Sunday with the family present from 4-6 PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark. Visitation will continue after 9AM at the Church on Monday morning. Preceding him in death were his parents, a son Timothy in 1972, and siblings Palmer (Lela) Bjerke, Oscar Bjerke, Olive (Carl) Zwieg, Gladys (Lowell) Bull, Helga (Lester) Finstad and sisters-in-law, Dorothy, Lucille,and Marge Bjerke. Arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark. Email condolences to www.furnessfuneralhome.com