Brenda Lei Nelson Wassberg was born on August 8, 1957 in Jamestown, North Dakota to parents Ruby (Dalbol) and Gaylord Nelson. On Saturday, March 12, 2022, she died unexpectedly while visiting cousins ​​in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She is survived by her husband Stephen Wassberg, her daughters Sarah (Chad) Wassberg Johnson and Rachel (Sam) Frisell, her parents Ruby and Gaylord Nelson, her siblings Joe (Phyllis) Nelson, Galon (Judi) Nelson and Kara ( Dan) Feist, and several nieces and nephews.

Brenda studied biology at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN (class of 1979). She was very passionate about the natural world and could identify almost any plant or animal she saw. She met her husband Steve at the wedding of mutual friends. They were married at the Elim Lutheran Church in Fargo on September 3, 1983. Steve’s father, Reverend Leslie Wassberg, officiated. Brenda and Steve opened Dalbol Flowers in 1984. Daughter Sarah arrived in 1985 and Rachel in 1990.

Brenda was very involved in community organizations, as a troop leader and a member of the Girl Scouts board of directors, especially when Sarah and Rachel were young. She has also been a member and sometimes board member of the Scandinavian Festival Hjemkomst, the Swedish Cultural Heritage Society of the Red River Valley, Daughters of Norway and Sons of Norway. In recent years Brenda has been particularly active with the Sons of Norway, taking Norwegian lessons since 2002, serving on the club’s board, participating in the Kringen Kor choir, the ukulele club and helping out in the library. She and Steve were also longtime members of the folk dance group NorSweDane.

Brenda was passionate about Scandinavian culture and collected Scandinavian-themed books, home decor, and holiday decorations. She also collected Girl Scout memorabilia as well as books and novels about North Dakota history and literature. Since Brenda took a speed reading class in high school, she could skim through books faster than anyone else, so the house was always full of books. She had a sixth sense for finding the best treasures in the area’s thrift and antique stores. Brenda was a lifelong gardener, indoors and outdoors, and was a certified master gardener. She loved music, playing the piano and ukulele and singing. Minnesota Public Radio was always on at home and in the car. She had a memory like a steel trap and often recalled the locations of lost items, forgotten memories and events, obscure crossword clues, and was, in her words, “a source of useless knowledge”. She passed on her love of books, thrift, music and gardening to her daughters.

She and Steve also spent time on Minnesota lakes, first in family cabins on Lake Leif and then in their own cabin on Lake Tamarack. Taking long walks, hunting for interesting plants, and being on the water brought joy during the hot summer months.

Brenda enjoyed spending time with friends, including her group of “lunch ladies,” who often met at local cafes or the Sons of Norway for coffee or lunch, her folk dance friends, and her many cousins. He will be deeply missed by his family and many friends.

A celebration of life will be held on Thursday, May 12, 2022 in Fargo. Details to follow.

Condolences and memories can be shared at www.hansonrunsvold.com

Arrangements entrusted to Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home – Fargo, ND