Betty Johnson Boersma

Betty Johnson Boersma, 92, of Willmar, died Monday, April 22, at Bethesda Grand in Willmar. Her funeral service will be at 11:00 am, Saturday, April 27th at First Covenant Church in Willmar. Visitation will be one hour prior to her service. Burial will be at Wang Lutheran Cemetery in Maynard. Her service will be livestreamed at ( https://subsplash.com/firstcovenantchurchofwil/media/mi/+4h8fnhr ) Memorials are preferred to Forest Springs Camp ( https://forestsprings.us/ ) or Crossroads Prison Ministries ( https://cpministries.org/ ) Arrangements are with Harvey Anderson Funeral Home in Willmar, www.hafh.org

Betty Virginia (Berg) (Petersen) Johnson Boersma was born on May 22, 1931, in Willmar, MN to Clarence and Ethel (Lundstrom) Berg. 

She was confirmed in 1946 at Calvary Lutheran Church. Betty attended Lincoln Elementary School, and graduated from Willmar High School in 1949. Following graduation, she worked as a secretary in Minneapolis until 1952. On May 3, 1952, she married Earl E. Petersen of Raymond. Of this union, three children were born: John Earl, Virginia Ann, and Earleen Joy following the death of Earl in 1955.   

Betty worked at several secretarial jobs in Willmar, including serving as the secretary at First Covenant Church from 1963-1965. On June 12, 1965, she was united in marriage to Stanley K. Johnson of Maynard, where he was engaged in farming. They attended Wang Lutheran Church of rural Maynard. Two children were born to this union: Paul Alan and Sharon Diane. Stanley died on October 1, 1985. Betty stayed on the farm until 1995 when she moved to Willmar.

Betty was a member of First Covenant Church. She loved being a mother and grandmother, and enjoyed doing things with and for her family.  Betty especially found fulfillment in serving as a mentor with Crossroads Prison Ministries for 17 years. She also enjoyed volunteering at Rice Hospital in the Gift Shop and helping at New 2 You thrift store. Betty worked at the Good News Bookstore for 12 years. Her hobbies were reading and quilting.

Betty married Albert Boersma of Prinsburg on December 27, 2010.  They lived in both Prinsburg and Willmar, and moved to Bethesda in 2018. Albert passed away in January 2020.

Betty is survived by her five children: John (Jan) Petersen of GA & WI, Virginia (Kurt) Murray of IN, Earleen (Scott) Warner of MN, Paul (Kristine) Johnson of MN, Sharon (Brad) Giles of MN; eight grandchildren: Timothy (Andra) Petersen, Daniel (Michelle) Petersen, Jonathan (Kiya) Petersen, Katie (Brandon) Coates, Kelsey (Josh) Sherman, Amy Johnson, Jaina Johnson, and Joseph Oliech; five great-grandchildren: Benjamin Petersen, Kaylee Petersen, Isabelle Sherman, Zoey Sherman, and Samuel Petersen; five step-children: Dorothy Boersma, Keith (Lois) Boersma, Sharon (Phil) Mulder, Lois (Gene) Reichert, and Steve (Lynn) Boersma and their families; and brother Ralph Berg.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, brother Eugene Berg, step-daughter Marlene DeGroot, and sister-in-law Gervaise Berg.

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