Agnes Bertha Walen

Agnes Bertha Walen, of Billings, formerly of Williston, N.D., passed away on Oct. 7, 2015, at the age of 102, at Saint John's Lutheran Home. Agnes was a God loving woman who devoted her life to God and helping others.

Agnes was born to Nels and Emma (Matre) Walen on Sept. 19, 1913, at her parents' home (assisted by midwife Mrs. Sateren) in Fredrick Township, Divide County, N. D. She was baptized and confirmed in Skabo Lutheran Church of rural Corinth, N.D. She attended Liberty Rural School and Wildrose High School.

Agnes graduated from Emmanuel School of Nursing in Portland, Ore., in 1950, and continued working at Emmanuel for over 20 years. Agnes moved to Garden Grove, Calif., in 1974 and worked at St. Joseph Hospital for 11 years. She moved from California to North Dakota in 1996 to assist her sister Nina (Walen) Opsal. After Nina passed away, Agnes moved into an assisted living center in Williston and, in 2012, she moved to Saint John's Lutheran Home in Billings.

Agnes enjoyed numerous hobbies, including basketball, swimming, ice skating, embroidery, music and crossword puzzles. During her 102 years, Agnes recalled items from her earliest life, such as helping her father plow the fields with a team of horses and shocking the wheat for the threshing machine to more recent recollections of how cell phones work.

Agnes is survived by her sister Esther and her husband William Green of Shepherd; sister-in-law Dorrie Walen of Arden Hills, Minn.; and 19 nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Nels and Emma (Matre) Walen; stepmother Emma (Sunde) Walen; sisters Nina and Cora; brothers Art and David; and nephews Norton and Philip.

The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, at the Lillis Chapel on the St. John's Lutheran Campus. Interment will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Skabo Lutheran Church in Divide County, N.D.

The family suggests that memorials be directed to Saint John's Lutheran Home or the charity of your choice.