Bertha Esther (Thomsen) Lennardtz

Passed peacefully away on September 13, 2020 at Guardian Angels Care Center, Elk River, Minnesota.  At the advanced age of 107, she had looked forward to being in heaven with her Lord and Savior.

Bertha was born in Indun Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota, on September 1, 1913, the next to youngest child of seven born to Norwegian immigrants.  Despite her mother dying when Bertha was 3-1/2 years old, she had a happy childhood on the shores of Bear Lake with her father, two older sisters, four brothers, and lots of cousins.  She completed 8th grade but then kept house for her father and brothers for a number of years before completing nurse’s training in Minneapolis and working as a private duty nurse in both the Twin Cities and California. 

Bertha married Bror Lennardtz in 1941 and for the 32 years of their married life they served as gospel missionaries in the United States, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands; this was a busy time with much traveling, gospel work, and raising a family of three daughters.

Bror’s sudden death in 1973 left Bertha a widow at the age of 60.  She retrained as an LPN and worked at Mercy Hospital and several area nursing homes, retiring in 1980.  She continued to travel extensively, took up oil painting, and spent many happy times at her brother’s cabin on Bear Lake.  She had the gift of making friends and enjoyed entertaining and showing hospitality to all.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bror; sisters, Johanna and Ragna; brothers, Ted, Leif, Ralph and Joseph; her dearly loved daughter, Janice Isabelle Mandeville.

She is survived by daughters, Joy (Bill) Dowzak and Ann (John) Hudak; son-in-law, George Mandeville; grandchildren, Matthew Dowzak, Peter Hudak, Michael (Alissa) Hudak, York (Francheska) Mandeville and Katy (Derek) Layton; great-grandchildren, Anna Peters, Samuel Peters, Amelia Layton and Leon Pazienza Hudak; many Thomsen relatives and friends at Trott Brook Gospel Hall and the wider fellowship of Christians with which she was identified.  Her philosophy on life was “to live each day with an attitude of trust and confidence in God, who loves us, and gives us each day His hope and peace.”

The family wishes to extend their thanks to the dedicated and caring staff at Guardian Angels Care Center for their ten years of providing care for Bertha.

Funeral Service at 2:00PM of Friday, September 18, 2020 at Trott Brook Gospel Hall, 17301 Nowthen Blvd NW, Ramsey, with visitation one hour prior to service.

Interment Trott Brook Cemetery in Ramsey, MN.

Dare’s Funeral Home  763-441-1212  www.daresfuneralservice.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Bertha Esther (Thomsen) Lennardtz, please visit our floral store.