Oscar K. Bjerke

Mr. Oscar Kenneth Bjerke, longtime Crocker area resident died Friday morning at the Beverly Healthcare Center in Clark where he has resided the past three years. Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 at 10 AM in the Crocker Lutheran Church at Crocker, SD with Minister Marion Grimes officiating. Burial will follow in the Calvary Cemetery near Bradley. Music will be provided by Marvine Obermeier as organist with Marvine Obermeier and Wendy Christman singing. Fred Obermeier and David & Carol Finstad will also provide music. Honorary Casketbearers are his brothers, Max, Gilman, Richard and Tenny, Kenneth Skavang, Tony Fromdahl,Laird Larson and the Staff of Beverly Healthcare Center at Clark. Active casketbearers willbe his grandchildren Shane, Heidi and Sara Larson, Thomas and Tanner Bjerke, Amanda Fromdahl and a nephew Steve Bjerke. Visitation will be held on Monday from 5-7 PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and after 9AM on Tuesday at the Church. He was born on December 26, 1919 near Bradley, the son of George and Ragna (Siggerud) Bjerke. He attended school in the Blaine School District. In 1941 he entered the US Army and served his country until August 5, 1945. He served in Africa, Italy, Germany and France without having a furlough. On June 6, 1946 he was united in marriage to Louise K. Skavang at the Crocker Lutheran Church. After his marriage he worked for a short time for Baldwin Creamery in Clark for Ralph Haugom at Swift Produce. The couple then moved to a farm in Spring Valley Township, north of Clark near Crocker where they lived and farmed until moving into Crocker on August 13, 1995. He became a resident of the Beverly Healthcare Center at Clark in January of 2002. He was a member of the Calvary Lutheran Church before joining the Crocker Lutheran Church. He was active in the Mens Chorus, Men in Mission and served as an usher for many years while at Crocker. Serving on the Spring Valley Township Board was a community organization he was involved in. A favorite pastime of his was bowling on the Bradley/Crocker Lutheran Brotherhood Team but second to none was having a cup of coffee and visiting with many family members and friends. Being a true kid at heart, Oscar loved spending any time he could with children, especially the little ones. Grateful for having shared in his life is his wife Louise of Clark, children, Kathy Larson and husband Laird of Clark, Janet Fromdahl and husband Tony of Roseburg, OR and Gary Bjerke and wife Cathy of Bradley, 6 grandchildren, Shane, Heidi and Sara Larson, Amanda Fromdahl, Thomas and Tanner Bjerke, 1 great-grandchild, Aason Hubbard. Also surviving him are 4 brothers, Gilman Bjerke of Clark, Richard Bjerke and wife Esther of Lily, Max Bjerke and Tenny Bjerke both of Bradley and a sister, Myrtle Batenhorst and husband Gerald of Texas. Preceding him in death were his parents, a brother Palmer, sisters Olive (Carl) Zwieg, Gladys (Lowell) Bull, Helga (Lester) Finstad and sisters-in-law, Dorothy, Lucille, Marge and Lela Bjerke. Email condolences to www.furnessfuneralhome.com