Bertha Geiger, 80, Dickinson died Saturday, July 25, 2009 at St. Benedict’s Health Center, Dickinson where she has resided the past two years. Bertha’s Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, August 1, 2009 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Dickinson with Fr. Todd Kreitinger as the celebrant and assisted by Deacon Gary Quintus. Interment will follow at St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Dickinson. Visitation will be from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson. There will be a rosary and vigil at 7 p.m., Friday at Ladbury Funeral Service with Deacon Gary Quintus presiding. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Saturday.
Bertha Rose Geiger was born September 2, 1928 to Johannes M. and Katherine (Froehlich) Geiger on the farm northwest of Mandan near Harmon, N.D. She joined a brother, Joseph and two sisters, Anna Marie and Helena, the fourth of seven children.
Bertha attended rural schools at Yucca and Sunny, graduating from Mandan High School in 1947. She received a Standard (two year) certificate in 1950, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary and Secondary Education with majors in Physical Education and English in 1954, both from Dickinson State Teachers College. In 1960, Bertha earned a Master of Arts Degree in Physical Education from the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colo.
Bertha spent 40 years in the teaching profession; first in a rural school near Center, then at Dunn Center Special School District. She taught junior high in Pasco, Wash. before returning to Dickinson State College in 1962 to supervise the women’s physical education majors/minors as student teachers at Campus High School. Bertha stayed and finished her career at the University’s physical education department, retiring in 1990.
She was active in organizations and held offices in the following: Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority, Delta Kappa Gamma International Society, North Dakota Education Association, North Dakota Retired Teachers Association, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Germans from Russia Heritage Society, St. Patrick’s Church Council, American Association of University Women, American Legion Auxiliary, Dickinson State Alumni Board, North Dakota Physical Education, Health and Coaches Association, and North Dakota Women’s Physical Education where Bertha served on committees that started girls’ and women’s sports in North Dakota. She was an avid Blue Hawk Booster.
Bertha was named as one of Dickinson State University’s first-ever Alumni Fellows in 2003.
Bertha will be remembered for her years of service and dedication to Dickinson State University and the sincere care she showed her students, as well as her support and love of Blue Hawk sports. She had a fun-loving spirit, a boisterous laugh and was a friend to many. She enjoyed traveling, reading and scrapbooking.
Bertha is survived by her brother, Thomas Geiger, Bismarck; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and three great, great-nieces. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Joseph and Louis; sisters, Anna Marie Traxler, Helena McFerran and Genevieve Jahner; brothers-in-law, Bernard D. Traxler, Garcon McFerran and Kasper Jahner; sister-in-law, Loretta Geiger; nephews, Casey Traxler and Neal Geiger; and a great-niece, Lisa Marie McFerran. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church or to the Dickinson State University.
