Carole J. Liljedahl

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Carole Bertelson Liljedahl, daughter of Jim and Lilly Bertelson, was born in Missouri Valley, Iowa on December 12, 1933. She was the 7th of 9 children born to Jim and Lilly. She passed away at The Heritage at Fox Run in Council Bluffs, Iowa on September 13, 2024, at the age of 90.

Carole grew up in Willow Park and attended school and graduated from Missouri Valley. After graduation she moved to work for a short time to Minneapolis, MN before coming back to Missouri Valley. On May 24, 1953, she married her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, Lenus Liljedahl, in the United Methodist church in Missouri Valley. In 1954, Carole and Lenus started farming 220 acres in the Missouri Valley bottoms, and on that farm, they raised four wonderful children. Carole loved farming with Lenus.

Over the many years Carole was very active in the United Methodist church of Missouri Valley where she taught many students and her own children in Sunday School, served on many committees as well as serving on many district and conference boards throughout Iowa. Carole and Lenus were also long-time members of the Methodist church choir which she directed for many years. Carole loved music and enjoyed hearing her friends and family sing.

Carole also sat on the board of several charitable organizations such as Crossroads of Western Iowa for adults with disabilities and the Cullivan Heights apartments with affordable housing for adults.

In 1986, Lenus and Carole became very active with Volunteers in Mission (VIM). This was hands on mission work through the Methodist church. They traveled to Panama and Puerto Rico as part of a team and for 12 years led VIM teams to Mexico and South Texas. After Lenus passed away in 2002, Carole continued mission trips for several years. Many friends and more memories were made on these mission trips serving the Lord.

Carole and Lenus were strong believers in the scripture, James 1:22, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

Carole loved to travel. Many family vacations revolved around camping and hiking as well as family time at Bertelson Corner in Bemidji, Minnesota. Beginning in 1980, Carole and Lenus would travel by car to wherever their mission trip would be and then spend the month of February traveling all over Mexico. Their favorite spot came to be in Rincon de Guayabitos in Nayerit, Mexico. They would come back every March all tanned and rested up to start another farming season. Carole truly loved the people and beauty of Mexico! After Lenus passed, Carole still traveled with various family members to Europe and Machu Picchu, South America as well as spending the month of February with her sisters and brothers-in-law in Port Aransas, TX. It was here the Bertelson sisters were quite famous for cleaning trash every year on the jetties.

Carole is preceded in death by the love of her life, Lenus, her parents, brother and sister-in-law Gene (Trish) Bertelson, brother-in-law and sister, Clyde (Thordis) Kleager, brother-in-law and sister, Bob (Cille) Anderson, sister Beverly Bertelson, brother Jerry Bertelson, and brother Jack Bertelson.

She is survived by her children: Michael (Barb) Liljedahl, Avis (Gary) Thune, Brit (Sue) Liljedahl, and Curt (Cindy) Liljedahl, eight grandchildren and their spouses, and numerous great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be 5:00p.m~7:00p.m, Thursday, September 19, 2024, at United Methodist Church in Missouri Valley, Iowa.

Funeral service will be 11:00a.m, September 20, 2024, at United Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers, monetary donations will be given to Global Ministries of Mexico.

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20 Comments

  • Lori Spears Posted September 14, 2024 3:43 pm

    Very sorry for your loss. Sending love and light. Prayers for comfort and peace.

  • Chad Grimm Posted September 15, 2024 6:43 pm

    Another angel is looking over us. Such a wonderful woman who has positively impacted so many of us, her work will continue from heaven.

  • Angelita Carnes Posted September 15, 2024 6:58 pm

    I had the pleasure to spend time with this beautiful woman so sweet and beautiful and
    a big heart my love and prayers to all of you she is with God in his beautiful kingdom ❤️

  • Robert emerick Posted September 15, 2024 7:20 pm

    I remember both of them coming down to the Rio grande valley. At curt and Cindy home visiting the kids. I think both helped build curts house. Great people. I met curt in 1990 at a new high school. ROWE in McAllen.

  • Becky Yager Posted September 15, 2024 8:18 pm

    Carole was such a wonderful person and inspiration to all who came in contact with her ! Our whole family loved her! When I think of someone to model myself after Carole comes to mind! May her memory be a blessing!

  • Bob and Judy Huber Posted September 16, 2024 3:16 am

    Mike, condolences about your mom sound like she was a wonderful lady and has earned her eternal reward.
    We miss you at LOMB. Hope you shoulder is getting healed.
    God bless!

  • Kristine Sopoci, eldest neice Posted September 16, 2024 10:18 am

    (Aunt) Carole worked hard to discover happiness and a rewarding “career” her whole life: finding independence, marrying her high school sweetheart, motherhood, farming, her devotion to parents, brothers, sisters, and the large extended family that followed, duty to service through mission trips and true love toward those less fortunate, fearless adventure, fearless opinions, and fearless devotion for all the people she loved and who loved her. She was a wicked badminton partner and player, an AquaBelle, lead many a hootenanny and campfire sing, Her smile and laughter wwere contagious. She instigated many fun and silly experiences especially with family. I miss those
    days….

  • Peggy Jo Bertelson Posted September 17, 2024 3:22 am

    My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

  • Beverly Nolte Posted September 17, 2024 7:08 am

    I am so sorry
    Thanks for letting me know.

  • Butch Reel Posted September 17, 2024 10:17 am

    “When great souls die, after a period peace blooms, slowly and always irregularly.
    Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration. Our senses, restored, never to be the same,
    whisper to us. They existed. They existed. We can be. Be and be better. For they existed.”
    Farewell old friend.

  • Janet and Kyle Drake Posted September 17, 2024 11:26 am

    Prayers and live…we were blessed to know Carole and Lenus .

  • Mary Vaughn Posted September 18, 2024 10:45 am

    So sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

  • Gary & Sheila Ruka Posted September 18, 2024 1:27 pm

    Our deepest sympathy, We spent many mission trips with Carole. She as a special person.

  • April Meade Posted September 18, 2024 1:43 pm

    Remembering your wonderful mother and wishing you peace and comfort

  • Angelita Carnes Posted September 18, 2024 9:05 pm

    My prayers to all of you I had the pleasure of knowing this beautiful person love you all

  • PATTY & TOM NIEDERMYER Posted September 18, 2024 10:43 pm

    What An Amazing Day When I First Met Your BEAUTIFUL Mother’s FAMILY And Her.

    Super Happy. Super. Proud of HER Family and SO Close. Friends. Since. CONDOLENCES To All The FAMILY and FAMILIES. A JEW To The ENTIRE. TOWN. AND A ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL SMILE SHE HAD FOR HER LIFE.
    God Bless You All.
    PATTY & TOM. NIEDERMYER
    RURAL FARMER S
    MAGNOLIA IOWA. / PISGAH. IOWA

  • Kylie Lorenzen Posted September 19, 2024 10:56 am

    I’m very sorry to hear of Carole’s passing! She was a really wonderful lady and I’m so grateful for each interaction I had with her! Our last conversation she was able to tell me about her adventuring and missions. It certainly inspired me to live life as she did! Without regrets! Thinking of all her family! It’s nice to hear all the stories and memories from everyone…I hope this brings some peace to her family. <3
    Rest in peace Great Aunt Carole

  • Christopher James Dougherty Posted September 19, 2024 11:35 am

    My great Aunt Carole show me many values in life. Most important, be kind to everyone. I carry that with me today and have passed it on to my 3 children. I have many Wonderful memories on the the farm as a bot and young man. Aunt Carole would always be on me for getting into Lenus’ cookies. I only wish I could have been able to spend more time on the farm with her. My God bless the Liljedahl family in there time of loss.

  • Darcy Atterbury Posted September 20, 2024 3:54 pm

    I watched Carole’s service live and was blessed by the words spoken-especially by Glen-and all the family that were able to be there. Carole was a true servant of Christ and her selfless legacy of love impacted many lives, including my own. Her easy smile and “can-do” spirit were gifts given easily away. My peace comes from knowing where she is now and all of the family she is with. Heaven rejoices!

  • Kevin Kilstrom Posted September 26, 2024 12:37 pm

    Blessings and prayers for Carole and family from the Kilstroms. I have fond memories of many a day working or relaxing on the Liljedahl ranch and spending one summer as a freeloader in the basement “bedroom”. May God shine his light on you and welcome you home Carole.

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