Sandra Bergstrom

On Tuesday, December 20, 2022, with her family at her side, Sandy Bergstrom, at the age of 79, passed away peacefully at her home.

Sandra Joy Bergstrom was born on August 31, 1943, in Minot, North Dakota, to Paul and Elvira (Urdahl) Borgers. Sandy, the third of seven daughters, grew to be a talented musician who always had a song in her heart. Over the years Sandy played piano, violin, and guitar; she loved a good sing-along, but also happily listened to all sorts of music from classical to oldies. Sandy graduated from Minot State College with a degree in music education and taught music in Minot, Minot Air Force Base, Dickinson, Parshall, Plaza, Palermo, New Town, Makoti, and Ryder before she retired.

Sandy met the love of her life, Dennis Bergstrom, when she attended a high school dance at Dakota Lutheran with a girlfriend. Denny’s friends claim that Sandy spent a lot of time loitering near his school after her violin lessons while Sandy maintained that every time her school let out, there was Denny waiting to pick her up in his ’57 Chevy. The lovebirds were united in marriage on August 2, 1963. They had two children: a daughter, Kristin Jo, and a son, Clinton Josh. They were married for 57 years when Denny passed away in April of 2021.

When her husband joined his father on the family farm northwest of Plaza, Sandy, who’d been raised in the big city of Minot, became the kind of farmwife who did what needed to be done–from cooking and delivering lunches to driving the combine. When farm work allowed for it, long summer weekends were spent at Lake Sakakawea boating, skiing, swimming, and enjoying time with friends and family. Her membership in Town and Country Homemakers brought her great joy as well as lifelong friendships. Sandy studied alternative medicine and over the years went on to help many people with her healing skills. Sandy and Denny also found adventure and new friendships while traveling around the southwestern U.S. in their motorhome.

In 2008 Denny brought home a stray dog that had been hanging around the cabin site and asked if they could keep him. The arrival of the scruffy black mutt they named Tuffy coincided with Sandy’s recent diagnosis of diabetes. Sandy and Tuffy quickly became dedicated walking companions and lifelong friends.

Sandy was formally diagnosed with Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer’s in May 2020. After Dennis’s death, Sandy and Tuffy moved into a Touchmark Memory Care neighborhood where she continued her music teacher role by trying to improve the piano-playing skills of the Visiting Angels who lovingly cared for her each day.

Sandra is survived by her daughter, Kris Bergstrom-Kok (Mark) of Fortine, MT; son, Clinton Bergstrom (Reneé) of Bismarck; grandchildren, Brady Kok of Plaza and Samantha Kok of Bozeman; as well as sisters, Marlys Armstrong (John Denn), Gail Bongard (Jerry), Beverly Rogers (Ken), Ellen Metz (Paul), Pamela Borgers (Ray Darby), Deanna Nagel (Paul); and sister-in-law, Sheryl Bergstrom-Thompson (Rich Nagel). She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and brother-in-law, David Armstrong,

Visitation: Wednesday, December 28, 2022, from 9 a.m. to Noon, First Lutheran Church, Plaza

Funeral: Wednesday, December 28, 2022, at 1 p.m., at First Lutheran Church, Plaza. The interment will take place in the spring.

In memory of Sandra Joy, we encourage donations to the International Music Camp (internationalmusiccamp.com) or to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org). (Langhans Funeral Home, Parshall www.langhansfuneralhome.com)