Bertha A. Frydenlund

Bertha Alvina Frydenlund was born on March 16, 1910, to John and Nora Alm Frydenlund in Hayward, MN. She was the sixth out of 12 children and grew up on the family farm in southern Minnesota. She attended grade school in Hayward and graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1927. Bertha then continued her education by entering the Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, Minnesota in 1927. This was a three-year diploma program in professional nursing which had no tuition. Instead, the school required the nursing students to work in the hospital for eight hours a day while also going to class. For her education, she studied obstetrics in a Chicago hospital, pediatrics at the Gillette Children's Hospital in St. Paul, and psychology at the Rochester insane asylum. Bertha graduated from the Kahler School of Nursing in 1931. She also worked as a private duty nurse after graduation. As a private duty nurse, she would go home with and care for a patient 24 hours a day. On a few occasions, she even traveled as far as Oklahoma and New Mexico to stay with and take care of her patients. When the war began, Bertha stepped forward to help her country. She began her duty in January of 1942 in the Army Nursing Corps. She was stationed in Little Rock, Arkansas at Camp Robinson and was given the title of First Lieutenant. While at Camp Robinson, Bertha treated many soldiers who had contracted tuberculosis. As she was preparing to ship overseas, she herself contracted tuberculosis. Bertha was extremely disappointed because she had been looking forward to shipping out. Instead, Bertha was sent to Colorado for treatment. Once she was cured, Bertha returned to Camp Robinson until she was discharged in April of 1945. After the war, Bertha returned home to Minnesota and worked in the Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea. Some time later, she decided to continue her education by becoming a nurse anesthetist. Bertha moved to Minneapolis and enrolled in the Hennepin Nursing School, which was an 18-month course. After completion, she took a job at the Winona General Hospital in 1965. She had a very intense job on the surgical unit. Bertha worked six days a week and was on call one night a week and every seventh weekend. The doctors at the hospital loved working with her because of her knowledge and efficiency. Finally, Bertha retired from her career as a nurse in 1976 after 45 years of dedicated service to the medical field. After Bertha retired, she returned home to the family farm to live. In her retirement, she enjoyed gardening, feeding the birds, and taking care of her dogs. At the age of 97, Bertha was still showing much kindness and generosity to those around her and is loved and admired by all of her 26 nieces and nephews and her three remaining siblings. Bertha has always been respected by her family and community and never ceases in finding ways to help those in need. Survivors include her brothers, Jim of Hayward, Conrad and wife Helen of Ann Arbor, MI; sister, Harriet and husband Ashley Skaar of Hayward, sister-in-law, Camille Frydenlund of Hayward, 26 nieces and nephews extended family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, sisters, Marion, Alice, Mae and Clara; brothers, Frank Vernon, Victor and Charles.