Funeral services for Olga Sackman, age 101 of Hettinger, will be held at 11:00am MT Monday, April 14, at the Hettinger Lutheran Church. Pastor Kathleen Dettmann and Pastor Robert Lynne will officiate with burial in the Hettinger Cemetery.


A family service will be held at 7:00pm on Sunday evening at the Evanson-Jensen Funeral Home in Hettinger.


Special music will be provided by Linda Nudell, organist. Norman and Bonnie Smith will sing, "How Great Thou Art", and "The Lords Prayer" and the Congregation will sing "What A Friend We Have In Jesus", and "Amazing Grace."


Serving as casketbearers are Kari and Dwight Hix, Mark and Bessie Bartling, Leah and Kelly Lojka, Kelsey Bartling, Kalea Lojka and Ryan Bartling.


OLGA FINK was born October 26, 1906 in south Russia to David and Margaretha (Dietterle) Fink. When she was eighteen months of age, she immigrated to the United States. She lived with her maternal grandmother south of Butte, ND for one year and then moved to a farm north of Mercer, ND. Her father worked as a farm laborer until he could earn enough money to buy horses and the implements he needed to start farming on his own. Olga attended a rural grade school and was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. Her mother died in the 1918 flu epidemic leaving her father with six children with Olga being the oldest at twelve years of age.


Olga was united in marriage on January 18, 1927 to Julius Sackman of Mercer, ND in a double ring ceremony with Richard and Bertha Ketterling at Jamestown, ND. Olga's husband Julius worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad as a Station Agent and until he established enough seniority rights, they did a lot of moving around North Dakota. While living in Turtle Lake, their only child Elaine Jean was born. In 1951, when the station in Mercer opened up, they decided to move back to their home town and finish out Julius's employment with the railroad. They retired in 1968 and became Arizona snowbirds in the winter, spending the summers in Mercer. In 1979, they sold their home in Mercer and became permanent Arizona residents. The Sackman's moved to Hettinger in June of 1989 due to Julius' failing health. He died one year later after 63 years together.


Wherever Olga lived, she was very active in the community and her church. She taught Sunday school for eighteen years, and also Bible school for many years. Olga sang in church choirs and while living in Mercer, Arizona, and Hettinger, helped with making quilts and layette kits for mission work. She was a member of the Hustling Homemakers Club in Mercer and also was a correspondent for the Washburn Leader for many years. In Hettinger, she was a member of Miriam Circle, Women Alone, and Hettinger Lutheran Church.


Olga loved to crochet and made many beautiful doilies and afghans. She was an excellent baker, was known for her delicious German Kuchen, homemade buns, cookies, and in later years Krumkaka. She was a good neighbor and friend, and enjoyed having people in for coffee and meals. She loved her family and her grand and great-grandchildren were her special joy.


Olga passed away on Wednesday, April 9, at Western Horizons Care Center in Hettinger.


Grateful for having shared her life are her daughter, Elaine Bartling, Hettinger, ND; 2 grandchildren, Kari and her husband Dwight Hix, Black Hawk, SD; Mark Bartling and his wife Bessie, Highlands Ranch, CO; 3 great grandchildren, Leah and her husband Kelly Lojka, Cheyenne, WY; Kelsey Bartling, and Ryan Bartling, both of Highlands Ranch, CO; one great great granddaughter, Kalea Lojka, Cheyenne, WY; one brother, Daniel Fink, Denver, CO; two half brothers, Carl (Iva) Fink, Bismarck, ND; Willie Fink, Sedro Woolley, WA; two half sisters, Rose (Frank) Abbate, Seattle, WA; Nettie Smith, in Texas; one sister-in-law, Olga (David) Fink, Lodi, CA; and numerous nieces and nephews.


She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, one son-in-law, Charles Bartling; one brother, David Fink; one half brother, Reuben Fink; 3 sisters, Anna Diede, Christina Orman, Bertha Mackey; three step sisters, and two step brothers.


A memorial has been established to the Altar Preparation Fund of the Hettinger Lutheran Church.