Erna Atanasu, 82, a longtime Williston resident, died Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at the Bethel Lutheran Home in Williston.
Erna Margarete Hilda Holzkamm was born on August 21, 1928 to Erwin and Erna Helena (Luckow) Holzkamm at Hettinger, North Dakota. She was raised on the family farm and educated in Hettinger, graduating from Hettinger High School. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith.
She met her future husband, Peter Atanasu, at a dance and eloped to Miles City, MT on February 10, 1946. They lived and farmed in New England, ND where their first three children were born. They later moved to Hettinger, ND where five more children were born.
In 1957, they moved to Williston, ND and built their family home where Erna lived until her placement in Bethel Lutheran Home 4 years ago.
Erna worked at the Good Samaritan Hospital and Mercy Hospital as a nurse's aide. She returned to college and earned her LPN license and was an OB Nurse at Mercy Medical Center until her retirement in 1985. Erna also did private duty nursing and home care. She worked at Bethel Lutheran Home as a nurse for a few more years before completely retiring.
She was German and a no nonsense kind of woman. She was also a very caring woman who would give of herself to others. When her grandchildren acted up she would give them bear hugs to squeeze the naughtiness out of them.
She was a member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. She was also a member of the LPN Association, Women of the Moose, and the VFW Auxiliary. Erna loved her family, and loved to garden and did a lot of canning and making jelly, especially strawberry jelly. She was known for her lefse and cookie making during the holidays. Mickey Mouse face gingerbread cookies at Christmas time were "special" for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a tradition that is carried on by her daughter, Bonny. She liked to travel with her husband to go and visit her kids and grandkids. She enjoyed going to Medora for the Musical. Thursday night cards at Erna's was also a fun time.
Erna is survived by her sons, Ronald Atanasu, Roger (Dee) Atanasu, and Richard (Collette) Atanasu all of Williston, ND; daughters, Bonny Rae Atanasu and Cheryl Besiada (Stan Rohrbauck) both of Williston, ND, Judith (Don) Mowry of Sedona, AZ and Joanne Satchell of Williamsburg, VA; 13 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren; brother, Fred (Mary Lou) Holzkamm; sisters, Agnes Brown, Ella Pladsen, Alyce Larkin and Karen (Howard) Nemitz.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Peter; son, Russell; and sister, Hilda.
Erna Margarete Hilda Holzkamm was born on August 21, 1928 to Erwin and Erna Helena (Luckow) Holzkamm at Hettinger, North Dakota. She was raised on the family farm and educated in Hettinger, graduating from Hettinger High School. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith.
She met her future husband, Peter Atanasu, at a dance and eloped to Miles City, MT on February 10, 1946. They lived and farmed in New England, ND where their first three children were born. They later moved to Hettinger, ND where five more children were born.
In 1957, they moved to Williston, ND and built their family home where Erna lived until her placement in Bethel Lutheran Home 4 years ago.
Erna worked at the Good Samaritan Hospital and Mercy Hospital as a nurse's aide. She returned to college and earned her LPN license and was an OB Nurse at Mercy Medical Center until her retirement in 1985. Erna also did private duty nursing and home care. She worked at Bethel Lutheran Home as a nurse for a few more years before completely retiring.
She was German and a no nonsense kind of woman. She was also a very caring woman who would give of herself to others. When her grandchildren acted up she would give them bear hugs to squeeze the naughtiness out of them.
She was a member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. She was also a member of the LPN Association, Women of the Moose, and the VFW Auxiliary. Erna loved her family, and loved to garden and did a lot of canning and making jelly, especially strawberry jelly. She was known for her lefse and cookie making during the holidays. Mickey Mouse face gingerbread cookies at Christmas time were "special" for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a tradition that is carried on by her daughter, Bonny. She liked to travel with her husband to go and visit her kids and grandkids. She enjoyed going to Medora for the Musical. Thursday night cards at Erna's was also a fun time.
Erna is survived by her sons, Ronald Atanasu, Roger (Dee) Atanasu, and Richard (Collette) Atanasu all of Williston, ND; daughters, Bonny Rae Atanasu and Cheryl Besiada (Stan Rohrbauck) both of Williston, ND, Judith (Don) Mowry of Sedona, AZ and Joanne Satchell of Williamsburg, VA; 13 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren; brother, Fred (Mary Lou) Holzkamm; sisters, Agnes Brown, Ella Pladsen, Alyce Larkin and Karen (Howard) Nemitz.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Peter; son, Russell; and sister, Hilda.
Erna Atanasu, 82, a longtime Williston resident, died Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at the Bethel Lutheran Home in Williston.
Erna Margarete Hilda Holzkamm was born on August 21, 1928 to Erwin and Erna Helena (Luckow) Holzkamm at Hettinger, North Dakota. She was raised on the family farm and educated in Hettinger, graduating from Hettinger High School. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith.
She met her future husband, Peter Atanasu, at a dance and eloped to Miles City, MT on February 10, 1946. They lived and farmed in New England, ND where their first three children were born. They later moved to Hettinger, ND where five more children were born.
In 1957, they moved to Williston, ND and built their family home where Erna lived until her placement in Bethel Lutheran Home 4 years ago.
Erna worked at the Good Samaritan Hospital and Mercy Hospital as a nurse's aide. She returned to college and earned her LPN license and was an OB Nurse at Mercy Medical Center until her retirement in 1985. Erna also did private duty nursing and home care. She worked at Bethel Lutheran Home as a nurse for a few more years before completely retiring.
She was German and a no nonsense kind of woman. She was also a very caring woman who would give of herself to others. When her grandchildren acted up she would give them bear hugs to squeeze the naughtiness out of them.
She was a member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. She was also a member of the LPN Association, Women of the Moose, and the VFW Auxiliary. Erna loved her family, and loved to garden and did a lot of canning and making jelly, especially strawberry jelly. She was known for her lefse and cookie making during the holidays. Mickey Mouse face gingerbread cookies at Christmas time were "special" for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a tradition that is carried on by her daughter, Bonny. She liked to travel with her husband to go and visit her kids and grandkids. She enjoyed going to Medora for the Musical. Thursday night cards at Erna's was also a fun time.
Erna is survived by her sons, Ronald Atanasu, Roger (Dee) Atanasu, and Richard (Collette) Atanasu all of Williston, ND; daughters, Bonny Rae Atanasu and Cheryl Besiada (Stan Rohrbauck) both of Williston, ND, Judith (Don) Mowry of Sedona, AZ and Joanne Satchell of Williamsburg, VA; 13 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren; brother, Fred (Mary Lou) Holzkamm; sisters, Agnes Brown, Ella Pladsen, Alyce Larkin and Karen (Howard) Nemitz.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Peter; son, Russell; and sister, Hilda.
Erna Margarete Hilda Holzkamm was born on August 21, 1928 to Erwin and Erna Helena (Luckow) Holzkamm at Hettinger, North Dakota. She was raised on the family farm and educated in Hettinger, graduating from Hettinger High School. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith.
She met her future husband, Peter Atanasu, at a dance and eloped to Miles City, MT on February 10, 1946. They lived and farmed in New England, ND where their first three children were born. They later moved to Hettinger, ND where five more children were born.
In 1957, they moved to Williston, ND and built their family home where Erna lived until her placement in Bethel Lutheran Home 4 years ago.
Erna worked at the Good Samaritan Hospital and Mercy Hospital as a nurse's aide. She returned to college and earned her LPN license and was an OB Nurse at Mercy Medical Center until her retirement in 1985. Erna also did private duty nursing and home care. She worked at Bethel Lutheran Home as a nurse for a few more years before completely retiring.
She was German and a no nonsense kind of woman. She was also a very caring woman who would give of herself to others. When her grandchildren acted up she would give them bear hugs to squeeze the naughtiness out of them.
She was a member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. She was also a member of the LPN Association, Women of the Moose, and the VFW Auxiliary. Erna loved her family, and loved to garden and did a lot of canning and making jelly, especially strawberry jelly. She was known for her lefse and cookie making during the holidays. Mickey Mouse face gingerbread cookies at Christmas time were "special" for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a tradition that is carried on by her daughter, Bonny. She liked to travel with her husband to go and visit her kids and grandkids. She enjoyed going to Medora for the Musical. Thursday night cards at Erna's was also a fun time.
Erna is survived by her sons, Ronald Atanasu, Roger (Dee) Atanasu, and Richard (Collette) Atanasu all of Williston, ND; daughters, Bonny Rae Atanasu and Cheryl Besiada (Stan Rohrbauck) both of Williston, ND, Judith (Don) Mowry of Sedona, AZ and Joanne Satchell of Williamsburg, VA; 13 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren; brother, Fred (Mary Lou) Holzkamm; sisters, Agnes Brown, Ella Pladsen, Alyce Larkin and Karen (Howard) Nemitz.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Peter; son, Russell; and sister, Hilda.
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