Obituary: Beverly Ager

Beverly Ager

Red Wing, Minn.

Beverly "Bev" Lenore Ager, 80, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of August 8, 2023, with family by her side at her home at Deer Crest Senior Living in Red Wing, Minn.

A memorial service for Bev will be held on Saturday, September 2, at 11 a.m. at United Lutheran Church in Red Wing, Minn. Lunch will be served immediately following the service.

Bev was born on March 27, 1943, in New Rockford, N.D., to Earl Wesley Melin and Lillian Eleanore (Erickson) Melin. She was baptized and confirmed at First Lutheran Church in Sheyenne, N.D.

Bev attended the single-building Sheyenne Public School from first grade through her high school graduation in 1961. The next year she enrolled in Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., graduating in 1965 with a bachelor's degree in English. On June 19th, 1965, Bev married Robert "Bob" Eugene Ohnstad of Helena, Mont. They had two children, Arik and Kjerstin.

In 1964, Bev completed her student teaching experience in Pelican Rapids, Minn. From 1965 to 1976, she taught at the junior high and high school levels in Dubuque, Iowa; Menomonee Falls, Wis.; East Dubuque, Ill.; Nashua, Mont.; and Townsend, Mont. In 1981, Bev and family moved to Gresham, Ore., where she worked for Fortress Church Supply.

After moving with her children to Thibodaux, La. in 1983, Bev graduated from Nicholls State University with a master's in Educational Administration. Bev's strong belief in the importance of education was evident in every step of her career. She earned additional academic credits and licensures in psychology, theology, communications, economics and education in Iowa, Nebraska, Montana, Oregon, and Louisiana. In 30-plus years as an educator, Bev taught English Language Arts, Journalism, and Title I Reading. She also taught Special Education in Kraemer, La.; Lewiston, Minn.; and Winona, Minn. before retiring in 1995. In addition to teaching, she enjoyed working as a newspaper reporter, bookstore salesperson, World Book Encyclopedia salesperson, food service employee, census taker, kindergarten aide and a care assistant in a nursing home. Bev's genuine curiosity and thirst for knowledge served her well in all of these roles.

Bev married Charles "Chuck" Ager of Fredericksburg, Texas on December 26, 1993. In 1995, Bev and Chuck moved to Wellsburg, Iowa, where Chuck served as pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church until September, 1999. Bev and Chuck retired to Strawberry Point, Iowa, where they joined Emanuel Lutheran Church and built a home on rural land that Chuck had owned for many years.

Bev began singing at the age of seven. She participated in various church choirs throughout her life, including two years with the well-known Winona Oratorio Chorus in Minn. She was a strong alto and loved to harmonize in church, in choir or with any song on the radio or TV. Bev excelled in clarinet while at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., and even served a year as first chair.

Bev's skills and interests were wide-ranging. She was a talented seamstress and sewed many clothes for her children when they were young. She loved the outdoors, and enjoyed hiking, rollerblading, biking and skiing with Chuck. Together, they identified birds, plants, and butterflies, and admired all of nature's beauty along the way. Bev had a green thumb, and loved tending her garden and indoor plants–a habit she continued by supervising and advising her caregivers until the last days of her life.

Bev thought it very important to stay informed about national news and involved in local politics. She loved learning about the history of just about anything or anyone. It was a rare day when she missed the nightly PBS NewsHour program, and she listened to NPR and informational podcasts into her final days.

Bev loved to travel and explore countries with different histories and cultures from her own. One of her first trips with Chuck was a Caribbean cruise. In subsequent years, they were lucky to take overseas trips to Thailand and China, Turkey, Morocco and to Mayan ruins in five Central American countries. In 1990, Bev traveled with her mother to Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Faith and family were central in Bev's life. In addition to always singing in a church choir, Bev taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School for many years. She was Sunday School Superintendent for two years, and participated in and facilitated church activities including Circle, Bible study and community and global outreach. Bev loved hosting family, especially during the holidays, and relished spending time with her three grandchildren.

After Chuck passed away on August 11, 2019, Bev moved to Red Wing, Minn., where she joined United Lutheran Church and was happy to be able to live near her daughter, Kjerstin and daughter-in-law, Mandy.

Those who knew Bev were familiar with her sly sense of humor, her quiet smile, and her kind soul. They knew her love of life, her grasp of grace, and her determined spirit.

Bev is survived by her children: Arik (Jenni) Ohnstad of Nashville, Tenn.; Kjerstin (Mandy Stokes) Ohnstad of Red Wing, Minn.; Teri Ager of Oakland, Calif. and Tim (Lydia Neuman) Ager of Austin, Texas; grandchildren, Elijah Ager Luckett, and Laurel and Siena Ohnstad; sister, Coral (Lee) Christofferson; brother-in-law Pr. Ted Ager; sisters-in-law Dorthy Lucas, Anne (Derril) Boerschel, Alma Long and Beatrice Koontz; Bob Ohnstad, first husband and father of her children and many nieces and nephews.

Bev was preceded in death by her husband, Chuck Ager; her parents, Earl and Lillian Melin; and her brother-in-law Myron "Whitey" Mahler.

Bev and Chuck both chose to participate in the Mayo Clinic's Whole-Body Anatomical Bequest program for medical education and research.

In lieu of flowers, Bev has kindly requested that any memorials be directed to the United Lutheran (Red Wing) Church music program; EWALU Camp and Retreat Center (Strawberry Point, Iowa), a Bible camp of the ELCA with which Bev and Chuck were associated/involved for many years; or to the ALS Association, specifically the Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Chapter, whose services improved Bev's quality of life in the last few years.