Bertha (nee Berit) Marie Johnson was born on March 8, 1895 on a farm in Todd County, Minnesota (probably in Little Sauk Township), the oldest of ten children born to Martin and Oline (Brendmoe) Johnson. Her father homesteaded in 1907 in what would later be called Burg Township, Divide County, on the plains of northwestern North Dakota. It was there that Bertha grew to womanhood and married her first husband, Gustav "Gust" A. Finnesgard. She and Gust farmed, but apparently overextended themselves and lost their lands to the local bank. At the time of her husband's disappearance in late 1917, Bertha was pregnant with her third child. By April 1918 she returned to Todd County, Minnesota, where her parents had relocated, and gave birth to her daughter. She then gave up her three children, Alvin, Beatrice, and Mildred, to be raised by others in Minnesota. Later in life, she had some contact with her son Alvin, but lost track of her two daughters.
About 1920 Bertha moved to the Puget Sound area of Washington, where she lived initially in Seattle, then in Tacoma for the remainder of her life. There she met her second husband Frederick Leon Bedford, a restaurant and hotel cook. According to relatives, they lived together for a number of years before marrying, and never had children from this union. As an adult, Bertha usually went by the nickname "Ruth."
Both Bertha and Fred Bedford died in Tacoma. Bertha died on February 14, 1975, and Fred died on January 17, 1976 per the Social Security Death Index. She and her husband are buried in Graves 6 and 7, Lot 49 in the Sunset Lawn Section of the Mountain View Cemetery in Lakewood, Washington. The following brief obituary of Bertha appeared on page H-19 of the February 16, 1975 edition of The Tacoma News Tribune:
"Bertha Bedford
"Mrs. Fred (Bertha M.) Bedford, 79, of 3598 E. L St. died Friday.
"She was born in Osakis, Minn. [east of Osakis], and had lived in Tacoma since 1917 [sic - no earlier than 1918]. She was a member of the Lutheran Church.
"Besides her husband, survivors include a son, Alvin Finnesgard in Washington State; two daughters whose whereabouts is [sic - are] unknown; two sisters, Miss Petrie [Petra] Johnson and Mrs. Clara Terien [Therrien], both of Minneapolis and a brother, Eddie Johnson of Tacoma.
"Mountain View Funeral Home is in charge."
About 1920 Bertha moved to the Puget Sound area of Washington, where she lived initially in Seattle, then in Tacoma for the remainder of her life. There she met her second husband Frederick Leon Bedford, a restaurant and hotel cook. According to relatives, they lived together for a number of years before marrying, and never had children from this union. As an adult, Bertha usually went by the nickname "Ruth."
Both Bertha and Fred Bedford died in Tacoma. Bertha died on February 14, 1975, and Fred died on January 17, 1976 per the Social Security Death Index. She and her husband are buried in Graves 6 and 7, Lot 49 in the Sunset Lawn Section of the Mountain View Cemetery in Lakewood, Washington. The following brief obituary of Bertha appeared on page H-19 of the February 16, 1975 edition of The Tacoma News Tribune:
"Bertha Bedford
"Mrs. Fred (Bertha M.) Bedford, 79, of 3598 E. L St. died Friday.
"She was born in Osakis, Minn. [east of Osakis], and had lived in Tacoma since 1917 [sic - no earlier than 1918]. She was a member of the Lutheran Church.
"Besides her husband, survivors include a son, Alvin Finnesgard in Washington State; two daughters whose whereabouts is [sic - are] unknown; two sisters, Miss Petrie [Petra] Johnson and Mrs. Clara Terien [Therrien], both of Minneapolis and a brother, Eddie Johnson of Tacoma.
"Mountain View Funeral Home is in charge."
Bertha (nee Berit) Marie Johnson was born on March 8, 1895 on a farm in Todd County, Minnesota (probably in Little Sauk Township), the oldest of ten children born to Martin and Oline (Brendmoe) Johnson. Her father homesteaded in 1907 in what would later be called Burg Township, Divide County, on the plains of northwestern North Dakota. It was there that Bertha grew to womanhood and married her first husband, Gustav "Gust" A. Finnesgard. She and Gust farmed, but apparently overextended themselves and lost their lands to the local bank. At the time of her husband's disappearance in late 1917, Bertha was pregnant with her third child. By April 1918 she returned to Todd County, Minnesota, where her parents had relocated, and gave birth to her daughter. She then gave up her three children, Alvin, Beatrice, and Mildred, to be raised by others in Minnesota. Later in life, she had some contact with her son Alvin, but lost track of her two daughters.
About 1920 Bertha moved to the Puget Sound area of Washington, where she lived initially in Seattle, then in Tacoma for the remainder of her life. There she met her second husband Frederick Leon Bedford, a restaurant and hotel cook. According to relatives, they lived together for a number of years before marrying, and never had children from this union. As an adult, Bertha usually went by the nickname "Ruth."
Both Bertha and Fred Bedford died in Tacoma. Bertha died on February 14, 1975, and Fred died on January 17, 1976 per the Social Security Death Index. She and her husband are buried in Graves 6 and 7, Lot 49 in the Sunset Lawn Section of the Mountain View Cemetery in Lakewood, Washington. The following brief obituary of Bertha appeared on page H-19 of the February 16, 1975 edition of The Tacoma News Tribune:
"Bertha Bedford
"Mrs. Fred (Bertha M.) Bedford, 79, of 3598 E. L St. died Friday.
"She was born in Osakis, Minn. [east of Osakis], and had lived in Tacoma since 1917 [sic - no earlier than 1918]. She was a member of the Lutheran Church.
"Besides her husband, survivors include a son, Alvin Finnesgard in Washington State; two daughters whose whereabouts is [sic - are] unknown; two sisters, Miss Petrie [Petra] Johnson and Mrs. Clara Terien [Therrien], both of Minneapolis and a brother, Eddie Johnson of Tacoma.
"Mountain View Funeral Home is in charge."
About 1920 Bertha moved to the Puget Sound area of Washington, where she lived initially in Seattle, then in Tacoma for the remainder of her life. There she met her second husband Frederick Leon Bedford, a restaurant and hotel cook. According to relatives, they lived together for a number of years before marrying, and never had children from this union. As an adult, Bertha usually went by the nickname "Ruth."
Both Bertha and Fred Bedford died in Tacoma. Bertha died on February 14, 1975, and Fred died on January 17, 1976 per the Social Security Death Index. She and her husband are buried in Graves 6 and 7, Lot 49 in the Sunset Lawn Section of the Mountain View Cemetery in Lakewood, Washington. The following brief obituary of Bertha appeared on page H-19 of the February 16, 1975 edition of The Tacoma News Tribune:
"Bertha Bedford
"Mrs. Fred (Bertha M.) Bedford, 79, of 3598 E. L St. died Friday.
"She was born in Osakis, Minn. [east of Osakis], and had lived in Tacoma since 1917 [sic - no earlier than 1918]. She was a member of the Lutheran Church.
"Besides her husband, survivors include a son, Alvin Finnesgard in Washington State; two daughters whose whereabouts is [sic - are] unknown; two sisters, Miss Petrie [Petra] Johnson and Mrs. Clara Terien [Therrien], both of Minneapolis and a brother, Eddie Johnson of Tacoma.
"Mountain View Funeral Home is in charge."
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BERTHA M. BEDFORD
1895 1975
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