Barbara "Betty" Wold

A Memorial Service for Barbara "Betty" Wold will be held on Friday, November 14, 2025 at 11:00AM at Helgeson Funeral Home in Roseau, MN. Visitation will be held on Thursday, November 13, 2025 from 5-7PM with a time of sharing at 7PM. Visitation will also be held one hour prior to the service on Thursday. Interment will take place at Norland Cemetery in Salol, MN.
Barbara (Betty) Maria Wold passed away peacefully at the age of 91 at LifeCare Greenbush Manor in Greenbush MN. She will be remembered for her unwaivering faith, love of family and friends, her strength, compassion and sense of adventure.
Barbara (Betty) Maria Kohlhepp Wold was born March 7 1934 in the town of Ochsenfurt Germany to Anna Maria Mathilde(Kummeth)and Adolph Kohlhepp, Betty was the second of 8 children. She was baptized and grew up in the Catholic faith. Betty was a young child during WWII and 11 yrs old when it ended. She went to school to the eighth grade and then became an apprentice to a seamstress. She tells of a time when all the books were burned by the Nazis so they had no school books. One had to pay close attention to the teacher and take notes. Certainly this was why she loved books. As she got older she went to work in a factory to help provide income for the family.
She met Allan Wold when he was stationed at an Air Force Base near to her hometown. This was the beginning of her adventurous spirit. They married Sept 13,1958. Betty moved to the USA in December of 1958 leaving all of her family behind. She did not speak much English and moved in with Allan's parents Clarence and Helga Wold. They both spoke Norwegian and soon found there were many similar words so they were able to get by. Allan joined the Army and was stationed in El Paso Texas area. When Allan was sent to Korea, Betty moved into Roseau and soon made friends with the neighbors. She used the library and TV and her English vocabulary grew extensively although she never lost her charming German accent.
Betty had a very strong work ethic. Over the years she did factory work at Fox Plastics, Fiber glass Dept at Polaris and then at the main plant until she retired in 2004. It was at the fiberglass plant that she got to know Blanche Halvorson and her Daughter Fern Johnson. This was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. They adopted her as one of their own and always included her in family events and photos. That family is so very special to her. They stepped in when her own family was so far away.
Betty loved to travel by plane, trains, automobiles, motorhomes, boats and a cruise ship or two. She took each of her grandchildren on a trip. Some to Germany, some to the east coast and some to the west coast to visit Karen and Allan. She was to many of the states including Hawaii, this was part of her trip to Australia. Fern was also a frequent travel companion as well as Elaine and Ray Anderson.
She loved going to any event her children and grandchildren were in. Choir, band, basketball and so on. Betty also enjoyed playing cards, gardening vegetables and flowers "food for the soul", and berry picking. She also enjoyed cheering for her favorite basketball team the Timberwolves. Betty loved to watch game shows and her favorite was The Price Is Right. Family favorite meals that she made included schnitzel and meatballs.
Barbara/Betty is survived by her daughters Silvia (Rainer) Birkhahn, Helene (Roger)Wiskow, Karen(Allan) Katzberg, Teresa (Brad)Fevold and Pamela (Richard) Fredrickson. 14 Grandchildren: Sandra(Alex), Nadine(Michiel), Denise (Michael), Darren, Derek, Jordan(Chelsea), Matthew, Liana(Joe), Zachary, Amanda, Laura, and Karina(Nick) Andrea (David) and Amanda (Shane). 14 Great grand children: Jannik, Sina, Lena, Jule, Oliver, David, Kevin, Piper, Fritz, Hendrix, August and Addison, Isabella and Emma. Also survived by her in laws Clarice Webster, Ivan (Barb) Wold, Elaine (Ray)Anderson, Eloise (Dennis) Sobtzak, Gary Wold and Diane (Bruce) Tolzman as well as many nieces and nephews in the USA and Germany.
Barbara was proceeded in death by her husband Allan, parents Adolph and Matilda and all of her siblings Franz, Joseffa (Seffie), Rosa, Adolf, Phillip, Maria, and Ernst and all of their spouses.
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