Bessie Dickinson

Memorial Services for Bessie Mae Dickinson will be held at 2:00 P.M.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at St. John’s Lutheran Home Chapel, Albert Lea. The Reverend Jeff Laeger-Hagemeister will officiate. Friends may visit

with family one hour before services at St. John’s Chapel. Interment will be held at a later date at Mountain View Cemetery in Walla Walla , WA . Bessie was born on April 1, 1910, the third youngest of eight children of Henry and Mary Emma (Imel) Warfield. She attended country school in North Dakota . Bessie was 18 when she married Hayes O. Strampher in November of 1928. Following their marriage they made their home in South Dakota near Keldron where they farmed. They later moved to Lemmon South Dakota . In 1950, Hayes and Bessie moved to Walla Walla, Washington . It was here that she worked many years at a cannery and Hayes worked at the college. Bessie had a strong unwavering faith. In South Dakota she attended the Lutheran Church in Lemmon, South Dakota and after moving to Walla Walla enjoyed the Salvation Army Church. Hayes died in 1976, and she later married Cliff Dickinson. Cliff and Bessie really enjoyed their many travels together in their camper. Cliff also preceded her in death. She moved to Montrose , Colorado for a short time and then in 2001 moved to Albert Lea to be near her daughter Velma. She had been a resident of St. John’s Lutheran Home since shortly after moving to Albert Lea. She so enjoyed being a member of St. John’s

Community, actively participating in many activities including gardening, baking, crafts, the readings of the newspapers, bingo and also enjoyed in writing letters and sending cards to keep in touch with family and friends.

Throughout her life she loved and nutured her roses and hand made many afghans with love. Bessie died on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at St. John’s Lutheran Home. She was 98.

Bessie is survived by three children: Velma  Zent and her husband Werner of Clarks Grove, Bonnie Sams and her husband Dale of Yuma, AZ, Oliver Strampher and his wife Marlene of Yuma, AZ, son-in-law Jim Nash of Colorado and daughter-in-law Sandy Strampher of Walla Walla, WA, numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, and her “St. John’s family”, especially friend Rhoda Thompson. She was preceded in death by her husbands Hayes and Cliff, infant son Charles daughters Mary Hellman and Iona Nash and sons Earl and Howard Strampher, and brothers and sisters.

Bessie will be remembered by her family  and friends as a loving, spunky, gracious woman with a great zest for life. Blessed be her memory.