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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