Bertha Axtman

A 94-year-old Minot woman who has organized hundreds of blood drives in Williston for more than 50 years has been inducted into the National Blood Donation Hall of Fame.

Bertha Axtman was announced as one of 12 inductees into the Hall of Fame by Fresenius Kabi, a global health company, for her exemplary commitment to donating blood and encouraging others to do so themselves. In a release, the company estimated Axtman’s efforts drove tens of thousands of individuals to donate blood over the years.

Axtman is scheduled to be honored for her contributions to blood donation in the Williston community Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Williston. The event will also be Axtman’s 95th birthday party.

Bertha and her husband, Albert, hosted their first blood drive in the late 1960s. That grew into a decades long tradition which she continued after Albert’s death in 2012. The Axtmans organized the Williston Blood Drive for more than 50 years, hosting two-day drives every eight weeks which brought in an average of 150-200 donors each round.