Shirley Margaret Knecht Bersagel, age 86, of Victoria, Minn., passed away Feb. 24, 2015.

Shirley was born July 27, 1928 to Jacob and Edna Knecht in Bismarck, N.D. Shirley lost her father to ALS when she was 12 years old and her mother Edna managed to provide for the family. Shirley graduated from Bismarck High School in 1946 and attended St. Olaf College 1947-49 and the University of Minnesota Nursing School from 1949-52. Shirley worked in various nursing services and a favorite was teaching nursing at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D.

In recent years, Shirley struggle with memory and in spite of that difficulty, she was determined to connect and serve with the people around her. We thank God for her servant life and her relentlessly cheerful disposition.

Shirley married Edwin Bersagel ’49 in 1952 in Bismarck, who passed away in March 2015. They had four children, Rebecca, Matthew and wife Ruth, Mary, and Eric and wife Shannon. They have four grandchildren, Annie, Paul, Ella, and Via; and various cousins. Other survivors include a brother, Donald Knecht ’61 and his wife Mary Lehnhoff Knecht ’61, and nieces and nephews, including Leif Knecht ’73, Genevieve Knecht Williams ’81, and Ann Knecht McIntire ’86.

Deceased are her brother, Loring Knecht ’47 and wife Virginia Peterson Gangsei ’44; sisters, Dorothy and Jean; and father-in-law Edwin Bersagel ’19 and mother-in-law Olivia “Ollie” Hanson Bersagel ’22.

Memorials in lieu of flowers are appreciated to the University of Minnesota Nursing School Foundation or the Alzheimer’s Association to further research for understanding and treatment of related disease.