Vaughn ‘Flip’ Bernsdorf
May 12, 1958-June 20, 2017
Vaughn ‘Flip’
Bernsdorf, 59, Minot, died
Tuesday, June 20, 2017, in
a Minot hospital as a
result of injuries sus-
tained in a June 3rd
motorcycle accident.
Flip was born May 12,
1958, in Kenmare, ND the
last of six children to Ho-
ward and Darlene
(Krause) Bernsdorf. He
spent his childhood in the
communities of Sher-
wood, Mohall and Minot.
Flip moved to Mohall in
1979. He worked for Bur-
lington Northern Railroad
and in the oil industry for
a number of years until
getting his first taste of the
automotive industry at
Savelkoul Ford in Mohall.
He moved to Minot in
1988 working in every
area of the industry from
reconditioning to sales
management. In August
2016, Flip fulfilled his
lifelong dream of opening
his own business, RPM
Auto Sales.
Flip was blessed with
two daughters, Jaime in
1980 and Elizabeth in
1990, from, in his own
words, “Two very unsuc-
cessful marriages.” He felt
the third time would be
the charm and it surely
was the case. Tammy was
his soulmate and best
friend through all of life’s
ups and downs. She also
blessed him with her
daughter, Emma.
Flip pursued with zest
his lifelong passion of
classic cars, classic rock,
and Harley Motorcycles.
He was a master mischief
maker, a risk taker, and an
all-around jokester. Flip
loved anything with an
engine and could perform
small miracles with a roll
of duct tape and some
hose clamps. He loved his
children deeply but his
heart was stolen com-
pletely by his three
grandchildren, Miles,
Isaac and Ella. Flip will be
missed by all who were
blessed to share in his
life, but most of all by
those who knew him as a
son, companion, father,
grandfather and brother.
His loving family in-
cludes his soulmate and
best friend, Tammy
(Gates) Swenson, Fargo;
daughters, Jaime (Joel)
Wickard, MN, Lizz (Russ)
Morris, MT and Emma
Swenson, Fargo;
grandchildren, Miles,
Isaac and Ella; mother,
Darlene Bernsdorf, Minot;
siblings, Jacqueline
(Robert) Field, Minot, Ter-
ry (Karen) Bernsdorf,
Minot, Reon (Jackie)
Bernsdorf, Minot and
Carol (Ron) Boen, AZ,
along with numerous
nieces and nephews.
Flip was preceded in
death by his father, Ho-
ward, brother, Kevin, and
nephews Bob Field II, and
Kaden Hafer.
Funeral Service: 11:00
a.m. Saturday, June 24,
2017 at Vincent United
Methodist Church, Minot.
Interment: Rosehill
Memorial Park, Minot.
Visitation: Friday, June
23, 2017, from 3:00 p.m.
until 6:00 p.m. at the Tho-
mas Family Funeral
Home, Minot.
In lieu of flowers, there
will be a college fund set
up for “Papa’s Knuckle-
heads” at United Com-
munity Bank in Minot.
Those wanting to sign
the online memorial regis-
ter or share memories and
condolences are invited to
use the expressions of
sympathy section at
www.thomas
familyfuneralhome.com