Agnes Hamerlik

Agnes M. Hamerlik, longtime resident of Grand Forks, ND, passed away peacefully on November 25 in West Fargo.

Agnes Marion Berg was born at home on the family farm in McGregor, ND, as the tenth of eleven children of Martin and Kirsti Berg. She grew up on the family farm and later in Columbus, ND. She graduated from Columbus High School and attended Minot State Teachers College. She met her future husband, Jerry Hamerlik, when they were both teachers in Crosby, ND. Agnes and Jerry married in 1957 and moved to Grand Forks where they continued their educations and careers and started a family. Jerry and Agnes celebrated their 60^th wedding anniversary in 2017.

Agnes and Jerry had three children: Kari, born in 1959, Mike, born in 1961 and Maria, born in 1967. Agnes was a wonderful cook and hostess, and frequently hosted Sunday dinner for her family. She especially enjoyed inviting her many nieces, nephews and their friends who attended UND. She was an avid fan of all UND sports, she loved to collect antiques and decorate, and her home was a construction zone most of the time.

Agnes taught kindergarten and first grade in the Grand Forks Public Schools for nearly 35 years, including at Ben Franklin, Lincoln and Lake Agassiz schools. She loved her students dearly, and was determined to make sure they all could read by the time they left her classroom. Agnes received her Bachelor’s Degree in 1961 and her Master’s degree in 1992 from the University of North Dakota, and retired in 2000 from teaching.

Agnes loved to travel, especially to Norway to visit her family, and to New York City to enjoy the many cultural, musical and historical sights and opportunities.

She was known to her grandchildren (and eventually everyone) as “Beste”, the shortened Norwegian word for grandmother. Her love for children made her grandchildren and great-grandchildren very special to her.

Agnes loved classical and liturgical music, and was a long-time member of St. Michael’s Church in Grand Forks and sang in the church choir for decades. She was also a member of the Thursday Music Club and the North Dakota Dames Club. She dragged her young children and husband to the Concordia College Christmas Concert every year, where she insisted they listen to the concert…not the UND hockey game on a pocket transistor radio.

Agnes was welcomed in Heaven by her husband Jerry, daughter Kari, her parents, brothers Odmar, Magne, Arnold, Harold, and Kenneth, sisters Olga and Signe, many in-laws, and a niece and nephews whom she loved all dearly.

She will be missed on Earth by her daughter Maria (Scott) Hennen, son Mike (Beth) Hamerlik, son-in-law Paul Kolstoe; grandchildren Liz (Brad) Mackowick, Laura (Travis) Vaughn, Alex Manz, Hannah Manz, Haley Hennen, Matt (Bailey) Krusen, and Anna Hamerlik; great-grandchildren Aly Mackowick, Jacob, Joshua, Eleanor and Samuel Vaughn, and Betsy and Ezra Krusen; her sisters Ellen Carlson, Borghild Berg, and Irene Hellekson; and many nieces and nephews.

Agnes was happiest when she was surrounded by her family with a cup of coffee, some Norwegian sweets, and listening to classical music.

Mass of Christian Burial will be on Wednesday, December 1 at 11 am at St. Michael’s Church in Grand Forks. Visitation will be on Tuesday, Nov. 30   from 6 to 8 p.m. with a 7:30 p.m. Rosary Service followed by an 8:00 p.m. Prayer Service at  Amundson Funeral Home in Grand Forks.

Our heartfelt thanks go to the caring staff at Kind-er Care in West Fargo where Agnes lived the last year, and to Hospice of the Red River Valley. What an amazing group of people whose kindness and love was shown in their great care of her!

Memorials may be sent to St. Michael’s Catholic Church, the University of North Dakota Foundation, Hospice of the Red River Valley, or Kind-er Care.