Helen F. Kassenborg

Helen Florence Bernhardson, of rural Kragnes passed away on March 18th at St. Catherine’s on Broadway in Fargo, ND at the age of 92.
Helen was born on October 15th,1931, in Comstock, MN to Elvin and Florence Bernhardson. She was the 6th of 8 children growing up with her family in rural Moorhead.

After graduating from Moorhead State Teacher’s College High School, Helen earned her degree from Bethesda Nursing School in St. Paul, MN. She started her career as a Registered Nurse at the hospital in Ada, MN.

It was at a Luther League event, where her future husband, Allan Kassenborg asked if she wanted a ride home and later invited her to go to the county fair. They were married on July 2nd, following Allan’s return from Army service.  In 1963, they bought Allan’s uncle’s farm on the Buffalo River, east of Kragnes.

Helen worked at St. Ansgar Hospital in Moorhead primarily as a labor and delivery nurse. She loved her job. She retired in 1977.

After retiring from nursing, she continued to help out on the farm, especially during planting and harvest. Following Allan’s death in 1990, she kept busy, volunteering at Merit Care for a number of years and traveling all over the world with friends and relatives. She joined the Y and went to water aerobics until the age of 88. She drove to visit her daughters and grandchildren and attend their events well into her 80s. She continued to live on the farm until she was 87.

She is survived by her daughters, Cindy Christopherson, Lancaster, MN, Nancy (Bruce) Kusler Kulm, ND, and Heidi Kassenborg (Grant Gugisberg) Afton, MN; brothers, Eddie Bernhardson, Moorhead, MN, Chuck (Helen) Bernhardson, Shelly, MN; sister-in-law, Marilyn Bernhardson, Redwood Falls, MN; grandchildren, Will (Stacey) Kusler, Evan Kusler (Julia Hennen), Hannah (Stephen) Roise, Ben (Caitlin) Christopherson, Elizabeth (Devin) Hiller, and Anna (Brandon) Warnke; great-grandchildren, Lewis and Kirby Kusler, Oliver, Izetta and Linus Roise, Cohan, Briggs and Jack Christopherson, Emmett and Milo Hiller, and Alexis and Brycelyn Warnke.

Helen was preceded in death by her husband, Allan; son-in-law, Bryce Christopherson; brother, Drell and wife Adeline; sisters, Betty and husband Marvin Leiseth, Lucille and husband Glenn Schuman, Lois Bernhardson; brother, Wally Bernhardson; and sisters-in-law, Barbara Bernhardson and Joanne Sternad.

Visitation will be from 5:00 to 6:30 PM at Wright Funeral Home in Moorhead, MN on Tuesday, March 26th, with a Prayer Service at 6:30. Funeral service with Livestream will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday, March 27th, at First Lutheran Church in Fargo, ND with burial at Concordia Lutheran Church, rural Glyndon, MN.