Winifred Hankla

Winifred Hankla, 84,

Minot, died on Saturday

July 6, 2019, in a Houston

hospital following a

courageous battle with

Lung Cancer. Her loving

family was at her side.

Winifred was born on

July 23, 1934, in Crosby,

ND, to Dr. Raymond and

Helga (Johnson) Bergem.

She was raised and edu-

cated in Crosby and Minot

and graduated from Minot

High School in 1952. She

attended the University of

North Dakota, where she

was a member of the Delta

Gamma Sorority. She

earned her Bachelor of

Science Degree from the

UND College of Nursing

in 1956.

Winnie married Wally

Hankla on August 18,

1957, at First Lutheran

Church in Minot. They

made their home in Grand

Forks and Bismarck prior

to returning to Minot.

After raising her family,

Winnie was employed as

a nurse by the Commis-

sion on Aging. Later Win-

nie was an independent

contractor with Burling-

ton Northern Santa Fe,

where she coordinated the

treatment and rehabilita-

tion of injured workers.

She ended her career

working as a nurse for In-

tercorp Rehab and Re-

training. Winnie and Wal-

ly wintered in Hilton

Head Island, SC, for

twenty-five years.

Winnie was a member

of the First Lutheran

Church, where she was

active in the Altar Guild.

In her early years Winnie

enjoyed playing fast pitch

softball, and later enjoyed

reading, golfing, traveling,

and attending nursing

school reunions. Howev-

er, her number one pas-

sion was her family and

supporting them in all of

their activities.

Winnie’s loving family

includes her husband of

62 years: Wally; children:

Barbara Hankla of Maple

Grove MN, Brian Hankla,

and Peter (JaMie) Hankla,

all of Minot; grandchil-

dren: Lauren, Aundrea,

John and Sofia; great-

granddaughter: Aurora;

sister-in-law: Valerie;

niece: Jean Haga;

nephews: Bruce (Kim)

Haga, Jason (Melissa) Ber-

gem, Mark Bergem, and

several cousins.

Winnie was preceded in

death by her parents, and

siblings: Lois (Don) Haga

and Paul Bergem.

Celebration of the Life

of Winnie Hankla: July

29, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. in

First Lutheran Church,

Minot.

Memorial Booksigning:

July 28, 2019, from 1:00

p.m.-3:00 p.m. in Thomas

Family Funeral Home,

Minot.

Memorials are pre-

ferred to the First Luth-

eran Church Foundation

or the M.D. Anderson

Cancer Care Center

www.gifts.mdanderson.

org.

Memories and con-

dolences can be shared at

www.thomasfamily

funeralhome.com.