Obituaries: Betty May Abrahamson

Betty May Abrahamson passed away Sunday, June 20, 2021 in Hermantown at the age of 95.

Born Oct. 10, 1925 in Wausau, Wisconsin, she was the loving daughter of Gustav and Grace Melling. After high school she worked in a store in Floodwood prior to World War II. During the war, she worked in a factory making small engines. After marrying, she raised her children and was a housewife. During the 1960s and '70s she worked for dentist Greg Swenson in Brooklyn Center and then worked many years at J.C. Penney in Brookdale Mall prior to her retirement.

She enjoyed cooking and serving meals, and hosted many family gatherings. She also was good at preserving vegetables from the Floodwood garden that she and George kept in retirement. When she learned to knit, everyone got beautiful handknit sweaters. She enjoyed getting together with family and playing card games. She read many books and especially enjoyed fiction.

She is survived by her daughter, Mary E. Jorstad, and her husband, Robert, of Charleston, Illinois; her son, Bruce A. Abrahamson, of Spring Lake Park; her brother, Marvin, and his wife, Sue Melling, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin; her granddaughter, Connie M. Jorstad, of Washington, D.C .; her grandson, Robert J. Jorstad, and his partner, Juanita Tuan, of Nipomo, California; her great-granddaughters, Lucy and Zofie Jorstad, also of Nipomo; and her brother-in-law, John Storms, of Phoenix. She is also survived by three nieces, two nephews, and numerous great-nieces and great-nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, George R. Abrahamson; her parents, Gustav M. Melling and Grace E. (Foster) Melling; and her sister, Dorothy (Melling) Storms.

Visitation: 10 a.m. until the 11 a.m. funeral service Wednesday, June 30 at Hope Lutheran Church in Floodwood. Burial will be at Forest Hill Cemetery in Floodwood. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Hope Lutheran Church, 401 Hwy 73, Floodwood MN 55736. Arrangements entrusted to Atkins Northland Funeral Home, 801 14th St., Cloquet. To leave an online tribute, see http://www.atkinsnorthlandfuneralhome.com.