BEVERLY A. SOMA

BEVERLY A. SOMA

Beverly Ann Soma was born August 23, 1927 to Marvin and Grace (Lageson) Kloster of Sharon, ND. She attended and graduated from Sharon High School in 1945.  She was part of the US Cadet Nurse Corps.  She enrolled in the Sisters of St Joseph School of Nursing, Jamestown ND, graduating in 1948.  She then was employed by the Sharon, ND Hospital and the Warren, MN Hospital until February on 1951, when she moved to Cooperstown, ND when the Cooperstown Hospital opened.  She was Operating Room Supervisor.

On October 25, 1952, Beverly married Jergen Soma of Cooperstown, at her parents’ home. They made their home in Cooperstown, later moving to the family farm south of town.  She continued working at the hospital in Cooperstown, later at the Nursing Home in Cooperstown, and then the Good Samaritan Center in Aneta, ND.  She also taught the nurse’s aide program for the Sheyenne Valley Vocational Center in Cooperstown, and the CNA program at the Cooperstown Hospital.  She also spent time as a camp nurse at Lake Metigoshe.  She was the unofficial "ear-piercer" of the area, piercing the ears of many gals, young and old.

She and Jergen had 2 children, Kathy and Tim. They enjoyed spending time at their cabin on Lake Ashtabula.  In later years they would travel, spending some time in Texas to escape the ND winter, with Beverly’s sister Kitty and her husband, Ardean Nelson.  They travelled to several states, Canada and Mexico.  Her solo travels included a trip to Alaska for the Fur Rendevouz, and a trip to DisneyWorld as a nurse for the Cooperstown High School Band.

Bev truly enjoyed visiting with people, her children, grand children, and her great grandsons. She was a fierce bowler – going to the National tournament a couple of times.  And she enjoyed watching “The Wheel of Fortune” - you dare not call when that was on!  After the show was over, she would talk with her wonderful “Shepard” friend, Mildred Rislov, to see how they would have fared had they been on the show.  She was up for anything.  She always had time for coffee and visiting.

Bev entered the Griggs County Care Center in May of 2017. She passed into her next adventure March 25, 2019.  She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Jergen.  Her children Kathy and husband Tom Gawronski, Tim and wife Deb Soma, all of Cooperstown. 2 grandchildren – Hannah and husband Jeremy Schmidgall, of Vining, MN, and Travis Soma, (special friend Alyssa Jacobsen) of Cooperstown, and 4 great grandsons – Tayden, Porter, Brodyn, and Boone, all of Vining MN.  She is also survived by two brothers – Sully and wife Linda of Sharon, ND, and Jim and wife Karen of Mesa, AZ.  Sisters-in-law Peggy Soma, Kaarin Soma, and Karla Rislov.  Brother-in-law David Soma.  Numerous nieces and nephews.  And one very special friend, Mildred Rislov.

She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Kitty and her husband Ardean Nelson, niece Paula Jacobson, sister-in-law Georgine and husband Earl Lynnes, and brother-in-law Larry Rislov.

The Griggs County Care Center was Bev’s last home, and the caring staff enhanced her time there. Red River Valley Hospice made her transition to her next life peaceful and comfortable.

Heartfelt thanks to the staff of both.

A celebration of her life will be held on Friday, March 29^th, 2019 at 2:00 pm in the Trinity Lutheran Church, Cooperstown.  Bowling shirts optional! (If you have one, wear it)

Interment will be in Westley Cemetery, rural Cooperstown, in the spring.