Velma M. Bjerum-Winkle

MALTA - Velma M. Bjerum-Winkle, 86, of Malta, passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013, at Phillips County Hospital of natural causes. Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013, at Mountain View Cemetery in Livingston, Mont.  Velma requested that memorial donations be made to the American Cancer Society, Alzheimer's Association or the American Diabetes Association. 

Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements. You can leave your memories and/or condolences for the family at http://www.hollandbonine.com.

  Velma was born on a farm in Pipestone County, Minn., on May 31, 1927, to Harold J. and Leona (Petra) Brooks.  She grew up on that farm, attending country school and graduated from Pipestone High School in 1944.

She then traveled to Florida where she was employed as a teletype operator for National Airlines at its city ticket office in Miami. Upon returning to Minnesota, she was hired as assistant co-4-H leader for Pipestone County, having been involved in 4-H and rural youth programs for several years. She then attended teacher training at Canby, Minn., and received her teaching certificate in 1947, returning to the same country school she had attended for eight years, this time as its teacher. While attending teacher training, she met Lloyd Bjerum, and they were married in 1948 at Pipestone, making their first home there while she completed the school term.  Lloyd and Velma lived in several Minnesota towns, coming to Glasgow, Mont., in 1953.  They also lived in Livingston, Gardiner, Missoula, Drummond, and Bozeman, Mont., wherever his contracting jobs took them, coming to Havre in 1969. Together they had five children.  Mr. Bjerum died in 1988.

Velma was employed at the Havre human services office for 13 years. In 1990, she married Lloyd Winkle of Gardiner, Mont., a widower and long-time family friend. Velma moved to Gardiner, where the couple resided for 15 years, moving to Livingston for four years, and to Eagles' Manor in 2008. Mr. Winkle died in 2009.

Velma was a member of the Presbyterian church, serving as an elder, and was also a member of the Northern Montana Hospital Auxiliary, serving terms as vice president and president. Velma was a quiet woman whose hobbies included gardening and lawn work, designing and sewing clothing for her children and grandchildren, and doing craft work.  Her main hobby has always been keeping in touch with cards, letters and phone calls to former classmates, friends, relatives and the enjoyment of hearing from them in return. She passed on her phenomenal work ethic to her children.

Preceding her in death were her parents; both of her husbands; her son, Barant John, in 1967, her daughter, Kari Dawson, in 2012, and a sister Ruth in 2012.

Survivors are her four daughters and their families,  Dianne (Gerald) Fowler of Gaffey, Colo., Joy (Dennis) Bebee of Malta, Mont., and Shari Scales of Salem, Ore .; 16 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; her son-in-law, Glenn Dawson of Havre; and her brother, Harold (Sherilee) Brooks.