Louise Kathryn Bjerke

Louise K. Bjerke, age 98, Clark, formerly of Crocker, the widow of Oscar Bjerke, died peacefully in the Clark Care and Rehabilitation Center at Clark on Saturday morning, September 30, 2017.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 5, 2017 from 4-6PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and after 9:30 AM at the Church in Crocker on Friday.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, October 6, 2017 at 11AM in the Crocker Lutheran Church at Crocker with Minister Marion Grimes and Pastor Mark Tracy officiating.  Those to consider themselves as honorary casketbearers will be Laird Larson, Tony Fromdahl, Cathy Bjerke, Donald and David Ufford, the Staff of the Clark Care and Rehabilitation Center and Thomas Bjerke, posthumously.  The active casketbearers will be Steve Bjerke, Shane Larson, Heidi Larson, Tanner Bjerke, Sara Brosz, and Amanda Fromdahl.  Special music will be presented by Marvine Obermeier, Wendy Christman, David & Carol Finstad, and Fred Obermeier.  Burial will follow in the Calvary Lutheran Cemetery near Bradley.  Following the interment, a dinner will be served in the Bradley Community Center at Bradley.

She was born Louise Kathryn Skavang, on a cold winter afternoon on December 30, 1918 at the home of her parents, Knute & Inga (Haugom) Skavang, the 3rd of 4 children.  Louise attended school in the area and then was a graduate of Bradley High School in 1937.  Following high school, she attended and graduated with a teaching certificate from Northern Normal & Industrial School at Aberdeen.  Louise taught in rural country schools in Clark County until her marriage to Oscar Bjerke on June 6, 1946 in the Crocker Lutheran Church at Crocker.

The couple lived and farmed near Crocker, in Spring Valley Township until moving into Crocker in 1995.  Later they moved to an apartment, and then to the Wookey Center.  Oscar died on July 15, 2005.  Louise became a resident of the care center in January of 2014.

Louise was baptized, confirmed, and married in the Crocker Lutheran Church where she also taught Sunday School, Bible School and was also active in the women's groups, from quilting to circles, the Lutheran Disaster Relief, and WELCA.

Preceding her in death were her parents, husband, a grandson, Thomas Bjerke, siblings, Alice Irene (Weston) Hill, Kenneth Ivan (Grace) Skavang, and Mavis Mildred Skavang.  Numerous in-laws also preceded her in death.

Survivors include her children, Kathy (Laird) Larson of Clark, Janet (Tony) Fromdahl of Gresham, OR, and Gary (Catherine) Bjerke of Bradley, 5 grandchildren, Shane, Heidi, Tanner, Sara, and Amanda, and 4 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com