Bernardine Marie (Billesbach) Johansen, 89, of Minden passed away Saturday, April 30 at Kearney County Health Services in Minden. Services will be on Friday, May 6, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at United Methodist Church in Minden with Pastor Paul Blanchard officiating. The interment will be at the Minden Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 – 6 p.m. on Thursday at Craig Funeral Home in Minden.
Bernardine was born January 6, 1927 on the family homestead 2 miles east and 3 miles south of Heartwell to Walter and Gladys (Armstrong) Billesbach. She had an older sister, Fern (Billesbach) Crabtree. She graduated from Heartwell High School in 1944. Following high school she worked at the Navy Depot from May to September of 1944.
On January 6, 1945 she married Verdon Johansen, her high school sweetheart in Smith Center, Kansas. They resided on a farm east of Minden until 2005. Of this union came 5 children Darryl, Bruce, Sheila, Vance and Mark. Bernardine was involved in Triple H Extension Club. She spent many days during the harvest season cooking and feeding the family and others that helped on the farm. She loved going to dances in Hastings on Saturday nights and spending Sundays with her family in the later years.
Survivors include her children Darryl (Arnie) Johansen and wife, Sue, from Lincoln; Bruce Johansen and wife, Mag, from Heartwell; Sheila (Johansen) Anderson and her husband, Larry, from Hildreth; Vance Johansen from Norman; and Mark Johansen and wife, Joani, from Norman; grandchildren Ali Borovik and husband, Lior, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Kimberly Melroy and husband, Wade, from Minden; Brandi Johansen from Omaha; Abbe Edgecombe and husband, Mike, from Hickman; Megan Luther and husband, Dusty, from Kearney; Bryan Ramsey and wife, Cindy, from Minden; Ryan Ramsey and wife, Maryann, from Harker Heights, Texas; Amy Ingraham and husband, Justin, from Heartwell; Chad Johansen and his wife, Audrey, from Omaha; Shayla Biltoft and her husband, Chad, from Kearney; and Tyler Johansen from Norman; several great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Verdon; her parents Walter and Gladys (Armstrong) Billesbach; her sister Fern (Billesbach) Crabtree; and many others.