Obituary: Beverly Gustafson

Beverly Iola (Borgeson) Gustafson, a former resident of Warroad, Minn., passed away peacefully from Lewy Body Dementia with Parkinson's Disease in Apple Valley, Minn., on May 5, 2018.

Beverly's 81 years were filled with music, laughter and love throughout her years as a pastor's wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and daughter. Beverly's talents & contributions to the music and arts in her communities started early at the age of 5 years old playing piano in her house for her family in Sheyenne and then she continued to play piano and organ professionally until her retirement as church organist at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, Minn., in 2007.

Early on she played organ as a teenager in Grace Lutheran Church in Sheyenne and it is there that she met and married Rev. Paul Abner Gustafson in 1955. They settled in the town of Ortonville, Minn., for three years to have their first two children (Mark and Deb) before moving to Warroad, Minn., in 1958, where they completed their family with Tim and Beth.

During her years in Warroad, she was the back-up organist and choir director for the cherub, junior and adult choirs for Zion Lutheran Church, where her husband Paul officiated for 30 years. Her dream was to educate children, so she took summer courses in Bemidji, Minn., for four years and then attended for one full school year. She brought her three youngest children with her to relieve Pastor Paul of caring for them in Warroad.  

She graduated after that year from Bemidji State College with a degree in music education in 1972. Shortly thereafter she began teaching in Warroad as an elementary school music teacher. Her musical productions each year at the school were unique, elaborate and entertaining.

Throughout her years in Warroad, Bev was a vocal performer & musician (piano/organ/guitar) for local weddings, funerals and community plays. In the early 1980s she was in several productions (as musical director) of the newly formed, Warroad Summer Theater (WST), including playing the lead actress in the very first musical "I Do, I Do". She also directed the musical "Annie" for WST.  

During her spare time, she was also a piano and vocal instructor to local students. In 1981 she moved to the Twin Cities to be closer to her siblings and she began a new career as a first grade teacher in Prior Lake, Minn. It was around that time that she began playing piano and organ for a small church known as Shepherd of the Valley (SOTV) Lutheran Church. She soon added the duties of choral director and spent many years as a musical director until her retirement in 2007.

By the time of her retirement SOTV church had grown to over 5,000 members and Bev was playing three services every Sunday. Bev was very humble about her musical talents and would probably say her biggest accomplishments were her children and grandchildren.

She loved to laugh and spend time with family and friends. She took several trips across the U.S. (seeing all 50 states) but her furthest trip was to Germany, with her SOTV church choir.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Folke & Inez Borgeson and husband, Rev. Paul Abner Gustafson.

She is survived by her children Mark in Phoenix, Ariz.; Dr. Deborah (Kirk) Erickson in Warroad, Minn.; Timothy (Elizabeth "BJ" Larson) in Apple Valley, Minn.; and Beth (Richard) Sudduth in St. Petersburg. Fla,; and her seven beloved grandchildren James (Steph) Erickson, Michelle (Joel) Maxwell, Justin Erickson, Jenna and Ingrid Gustafson, and Christian and Kaitlyn Sudduth; her three siblings Marilyn Gisselquist, Faye Olson and Feryle (Betty) Borgeson; her brother-in-law David Gustafson; & her many nephews & nieces. She had homes in Sheyenne, Ortonville, Warroad, Eagan, & Apple Valley.

Visitation will be at 1 p.m., with Memorial service at 2 p.m., on July 7, 2018 at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, 12650 Johnny Cake Ridge Rd, Apple Valley, MN 55124.

Memorials welcome to the SOTV organ fund or Fairview Home Care and Hospice in Minneapolis, Minn.

Arrangements made by Henry W. Anderson Funeral and Cremation Services, Minn.