Thelma Bengtson

Thelma H. Bengtson, age  89, of Willmar, died Saturday evening, February 2, at Prairie Senior Cottages in Willmar.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9, at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Kandiyohi.  Interment will be in the church cemetery.  Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, Feb., 8, at the Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar and will continue for one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.

Thelma Helen Bengtson was born on February 11, 1929, in Willmar, Minnesota, the daughter of Otto and Zella (Welch) Oveson.  She grew up in the Willmar and Kandiyohi communities and graduated from Willmar High School in 1947.  On June 28, 1947, Thelma was united in marriage to Ferdinand “Ferdie” Bengtson and they made their home in Kandiyohi.  She worked for a while as a waitress at Zella’s Café in Kandiyohi (which was owned by her mother).  Thelma was later employed for many years in sales at the S & L Clothing Store, Habicht’s Department Store and Thompson’s Clothing Store in downtown Willmar.  In 1961, Thelma founded the Kandi-Harold Newspaper and served as the editor for many years.  She enjoyed birds, traveling (especially on various bus tours) and family get-togethers.  She was a member of Ebenezer Lutheran Church and served for many years in women’s circle.

She is survived by her two sons, Mike (and Jane) Bengtson of Bloomington, IN and Mark (and Shari) Bengtson of Kandiyohi; nine grandchildren; twenty-seven great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.  Also surviving is a sister-in-law, Barb Oveson of Kandiyohi, besides other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Ferdie in 2000; one son, Douglas in 1974; one sister, Olive “Toots” Ritz in 1967; one brother, Ken Oveson in 2018, and a half-sister, Hazel Haverly in 1974.