Mertie Karin Kurtti

Mertie Karin Kurtti, 86,

of Rocklake, North Dakota

passed away on Wednes-

day, April 24, 2019 sur-

rounded by loved ones

while in home hospice

care in Minot, ND.

Mertie Karin (Billgren)

Kurtti was born January 7,

1933, in Rolla, North

Dakota to John and Myra

(Johnson) Billgren. She

grew up on the family

farm in rural St. John, ND.

After finishing school in

St. John, she worked in

Rolla, Minot, and Min-

neapolis, MN and attend-

ed the School of Forestry

in Bottineau, ND. Mertie

returned to St. John in

1963, and worked in Rolla

at the hospital where she

met Roger William “Bill”

Kurtti of rural Rocklake,

ND, while he was a pa-

tient. Mertie and Bill were

united in marriage Janu-

ary 2, 1964 and made

their home on the Kurtti

family farm. They farmed

and ranched, raising pure-

bred Hereford cattle. Mer-

tie also raised dairy goats

and enjoyed having many

cats through the years.

She was an avid gardener

of both vegetables and

flowers. Mertie was a lov-

ing wife and mother and

was active in her faith.

Mertie and Bill raised

three children and en-

joyed many grandchil-

dren. Every year after the

seeding was done, the

family made a trip in the

flying club plane. In 1996,

Mertie and Bill became

snowbirds going to Arizo-

na and settling in Holt-

ville, CA. They enjoyed

the natural hot springs

and made many new

friends during their retire-ment.

Mertie is survived by

her son, Roger (Michelle)

Kurtti of Rocklake,

daughter, Karin (Tom)

Will of Minot, son, Erling

(fiance, Tammy) Kurtti of

Brooklyn Park, MN; nine

grandchildren, Paul Kurt-

ti, Michael Kurtti, Sara

Kurtti, Danielle (Tanner)

Rusch, Jared Will, Jordan

Will, Josh Will, Elizabeth

Kurtti, Sophie Kurtti; and

two great-grandchildren,

Dean Juntunen and Alaina

Rusch; sister, Nancy

(Tom) Petersen of Maple-

ton, Oregon; brother-in-

law, Dan (Yuko) Kurtti;

and sister-in-law, Sharon

(Lloyd) Hovland.

Mertie was preceded in

death by her husband,

Bill, sister, Arlene Pear-

son, sister, Helen Grey,

brother-in-law, Tom Kurt-

ti, grandson, Matthew

Kurtti, father, John

Billgren, and mother,

Myra Billgren.

Funeral services will be

held on Saturday, April

27, 2019 at Rocklake

School Gymnasium, Rock-

lake, ND at 1:00 PM. Visi-

tation will be 2 hours pri-

or to funeral services.

Interment will be at Mt.

View Cemetery, rural

Rocklake, ND.

Elick Funeral Home,

Rolla, ND.