Nita Bertsch, 98, of Wishek, ND, passed away on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at the Wishek Living Center.

Nita (Klein) Bertsch, age 98 departed her earthly life for her heavenly home on April 1, 2026 in the kind care of Wishek Living Center, Wishek, ND. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 am MDT on Friday, May 1 at Zoar Congregational Church in Mott, with Pastor Corey Warner officiating. Inurnment will follow in Sunnyslope Cemetery.

Born Aug 1, 1927 to Bertha (Dittus) and John Klein on the family farm north of Burt, North Dakota, she attended a country school, driven to by a horse-drawn wagon and learned to speak English in first grade. Her mother encouraged her and her sister to plant and tend their own vegetable gardens, milk cows, separate cream, and raise chickens and turkeys. Nita sang and performed at home, school and church. She possessed a unique ability for memorization and character portrayal. A favorite poem she recited into her 90s was "In Flanders Field". Bible passages were her most-treasured memorizations. Nita learned to play and chord piano by ear. She filled her home with singing and playing gospel, country or polkas. She yodeled and played the harmonica too.

Nita and Edmund were married January 16, 1946 at Neuberg Church, where they had both been baptized and confirmed. They made their home in Mott near the Cannonball River. Over the years, they survived two floods which all but destroyed their little house. They operated a hatchery and firewood cutting service early on, before Edmund began his house painting business. Their daughter Marilyn was born in 1953 and daughter Leora in 1959.

Nita was a dedicated member of Zoar Church, assisting in the finishing of the church building in the early 60s. She studied and read her Bible, asked questions and took notes. She maintained stacks of journals in which she recorded what she learned and was continually thankful and amazed at God's goodness. Nita delighted in her many years as Sunday School teacher, VBS teacher and director, choir member and vocalist in the German language. She was a regular and constant attender and officer at Ladies Fellowship. A fun-loving lady, Nita could imitate people and get their accents and mannerisms just right. Her coffee pot was always on, with freshly baked treats to go with conversation and her frosted angel food cakes and Kuchen were legendary at potlucks, family occasions and birthdays.

Nita volunteered at the Good Samaritan Center and had a heart for elderly, disadvantaged and marginalized individuals. She comforted residents in their last hours with Scriptures.

In 2003 Edmund passed away at age 79 after being her soulmate for 56 years. She was challenged with loneliness and was no longer able to maintain her property, following a fall and fractured shoulder. She moved to Wishek ND in 2010 and resided at the Wishek Living Center until her passing. Her kind caregivers there made this her "second-best home".

We will ever love you, miss you, and honor you. Thank you for all that you were to us;
daughter Marilyn (Dwight) Friedt and family Melanie (Nafe) Hagen and children Caleb, Gabriel and Soraya; Matthew (Sara) Friedt and children Katelyn and David.

daughter Leora (Bruce) Schauer and family Daniel (Tina) Bertsch and baby Lucille, Joshua (Lacy) Schiwal and children Ty and Taytum; Maureen (Kevin) Cochran and sons Owen, Shane and Weston and Madeline Schauer and friend Michael Hiltner.

Nita was preceded in death by her parents, brother Milton Klein and sister Eleanor Harsch.