Alma Kyllander

Alma Kyllander, age 94, of Fertile, Minnesota, died Monday, July 23, 2007, in Bethany Homes, Fargo, North Dakota. Alma Berg was born March 24, 1913, the daughter of Andrew and Maria ( Halvorson ) Berg on the home farm near Twin Valley, Minnesota. Alma attended country schools near Twin Valley, graduating from Twin Valley High School with the class of 1930. As a young woman, Alma worked as a housekeeper for a doctor’s wife in Fargo, North Dakota, in the early 1930’s. She then attended “Normal School” in Ada, Minnesota, to receive her teaching certificate in 1931-1932. Alma taught in several one room rural schools in Norman and Polk counties. The last school she taught in was the Giant Oak School, which is currently at the Burgeson Nursery near Fertile. Alma met Art Kyllander at a dance. He was living in Fertile and she near Ada, so letter writing was their main communication as neither of them owned a vehicle. Art heard of a teaching position in the Fertile area, so he had a hand in getting her to apply for the teaching position. Thus the romance heightened. On May 22, 1937, Alma was united in marriage to Art Kyllander at the Twin Valley parsonage. The couple moved to the farm in Bear Park Township in Norman County near Fertile, where they lived until moving to the Northwest Apartments in Fertile in September, 1994. Art and Alma farmed until retiring in 1968. Art died in April of 2003, which was a month short of their 66th wedding anniversary. Besides helping on the farm, Alma continued teaching for several years, but she is perhaps better known for her 30 plus years of working at the Bergeson Nursery where she was jack of all trades. Even after retiring from there, Alma continued to visit the Bergeson Nursery, “to check on how everything was going”. Alma was a long time member of St. Johns Lutheran Church where she was very active until her later years. Her hobbies included gardening, crocheting many afghans, playing cards and visiting with many neighbors. Alma is survived by two daughters, Susan (Arland) Olerud of West Fargo, ND, and Gwen Curtis of Bloomington, MN; a daughter-in-law, Laura Kyllander-Polymeros of Minneapolis, MN; five grandchildren, Timothy Curtis, Aaron Kyllander, Anne Keating, Nicole Rivera, Eric Mjelde; four great-grandchildren, Taylor Curtis, Lexie Curtis, Jadyn Rivera and Lucy Keating and several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, son, Lynn, two brothers, Walter and Arthur and two sisters, Myrtle Chamberlin and Mable Viste. Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, July 26th, 2007, at 11:00 AM in St. Johns Lutheran Church, rural Fertile, Minnesota. Officiating will be Pastor Carl Hansen with Glenda Bergeson serving as pianist and Eric Bergeson and Joe Bergeson as vocalists. Pallbearers will be Timothy Curtis, Aaron Kyllander, Anne Keating, Nicole Rivera, Eric Mjelde and Mervin Sirjord. Honorary pallbearers will be her great-grandchildren, Taylor Curtis, Lexie Curtis, Jadyn Rivera and Lucy Keating. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 25th from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM with a Prayer Service at 7:00 PM at St. Johns Lutheran Church, rural Fertile. Visitation will also be one hour before services at the church on Thursday. Burial will be in St. Johns Lutheran Cemetery, rural Fertile, Minnesota.

Alma Kyllander

March 24, 1913 - July 23, 2007