Edith (Bergh) Negstad. born Jan. 7, 1900, rural Brookings Count, SD.

    When Olai Bergh finished  Hauges Synod Seminary, Red Wing, MN., in 1884, he was sent to eastern South Dakota to establish a congregation. Purchasing 80 acres 4 miles south of Volga he built a church and established a farm. Accompanying him was his bride Minnie Halvorson. Olai and Minnie now lie buried in the cemetery where the church once stood.
     The Berghs had 12 children, the first two died in infancy, and 10 survived to adulthood. Edith was the 10th child and 8th of those who lived beyond infancy. In 1929 Edith married Albert Negstad and I was the 4th and final child born to them. The first child was born at home and the rest of us were born in a local maternity home with the aid of a mid-wife.
    My mother would be 120 years old today, it was always easy to track her age because she was born 7 days into the new century. She died in December 1989, a few weeks shy of age 90. It seems fitting on this day to pay her tribute.
    Raising 4 children on a farm, during the depression and drought years of the 1930's, in which we all 4 were born, could not have been easy. She was very organized following the standard practice followed by many housewives; Monday-wash clothes, Tuesday-mend-clothes, Wednesday-iron clothes, Thursday-I forget, Friday-clean house and Saturday-bake bread, rolls, etc. Meanwhile, tending four children each 2 years apart.
   One clue about her organizational ability is that she was one of two women who were tasked with organizing the kitchen for the big ladies-aid dinners. She didn't like to do it because she didn't like telling others what to do but she did it well.
    A clue to her character came after her death. Her grandchildren discovered in conversation that each of them was convinced that she/he was grandma's favorite. She was not given to speaking in public but when her congregation was debating leaving the denomination she spoke against it and the congregational president later told me that her speech turned the tide and the congregation voted to remain.
    She was a good spouse, mother, grandmother, aunt, neighbor and friend. When I count my blessings, she and my father, are among the foremost. They lie buried a short distance from Joanne so I regularly visit them as well as other family members

Takk for alt,

Al