Tekla Katherine Bekkedal

Tekla Katherine Bekkedal passed away Thursday, December 17, 2020, at Tioga Medical Long-Term Care in Tioga, ND. Tekla was born on May 20, 1926, to Lloyd and Clara (Sherry) Bekkedal in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She attended Westby, Wisconsin area schools and graduated in 1944. She went to college at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. She taught high school in Wisconsin and Montana. After furthering her education, she taught at colleges in Colorado, South Dakota, Minnesota, and finally at Eau Claire, Wisconsin. After settling in Eau Claire, she went on to receive her doctorates in Children’s Literature from the University of Illinois. Eau Claire became her home and she taught there until she retired in 1991. Tekla lived in Eau Claire until she moved to Bismarck in 2007, to be closer to her family. She lived at the Primrose Retirement Community until August 2020. Tekla is survived by her nieces, Kristine (Arlin) Polsfut of Mandan, ND, and Anne (Jack) Kane of Helena, MT; her nephews, Dean (Patty) Hersel and Jon (Paulette) Hersel of Tioga, ND; great nieces; and her great-great nieces and nephew. She was preceded in death by her sister and brother-in-law, Joanna and Oliver Hersel, her parents, numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. A graveside service will be held Tuesday, May 25, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. at Coon Prairie Cemetery in Westby.