Bertha Mae was born on May 2, 1902 in Milo Township in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota to Ira 'Will' Wellington Deuel and Albertine 'Tina' (Foss) Deuel. She attended District 6 county school. She married Clair Bernard Bemis on June 20, 1923 in Estes Brook at her parents' home. The couple had 6 children; Clifford, Duaine (Bud), Bonita, Velma, Alden and Waldon. The young couple mad their home in the Estes Brook area where they farmed and owned and operated a trucking company and the Bemis Garage. Bertha worked at the Weisbord Bakery in Princeton and was a supervisor for Fingerhut for many years. She also had a food stand at the Princeton fair grounds, played the piano/organ for silent movies and wrote the local "Estes Brook" news for the Milaca, Princeton and Foley newspapers for over 50 years. Bertha enjoyed doing volunteer work at the Foley Nursing Home and lover to play the piano for the residents there.
in 1981, Bertha moved to an apartment in Foley where she lived for several years. She then moved to Care Free Living in St. Cloud for two years before moving to the Princeton Elim Home. Bertha passed away on Monday December 27, 1993 at the Fairview Northland Regional Hospital in Princeton, Minnesota.
Funeral services were held Thursday December 30th at the Estes Brook Evangelical Free Church with Rev. West Macy officiating. The organist was Elsie Johnson and the vocalists were Doris Northway and Laverne Gustafson. Pallbearers were LaDonna Olson, Lloyd, Floyd, Donald, Rick, Lyle and Virgil Deuel. Burial was at the Milo Cemetery in Estes Brook.
Bertha was preceded in death by her husband, Clair in 1980; infant daughter, Velma in 1927 and infant son, Waldon in 1940, granddaughter, Linda Jean; great granddaughter, Jennifer Rose Schelin; brothers, Lester, Percy and Ira Deuel; and her parents Will and Tina Deuel.