Charolette “Char” Birkedal, age 61

Nora Springs, Iowa
December 17, 1958 - March 19, 2020

Charolette “Char” Birkedal of rural Nora Springs, Iowa, passed away at MercyOne North Iowa Hospice on Thursday morning, March 19, 2020, after a long battle with Multiple Sclerosis. 

Due to government regulations regarding the coronavirus, private family graveside services will be held at Rock Creek Cemetery with Pastor David A. Werges officiating. A gathering to celebrate Char’s life will be held later this summer.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given directly to MercyOne North Iowa Hospice or to the Multiple Sclerosis Society, or to the family who will donate memorials to the entities mentioned above. 

Char was born December 17, 1958, in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the daughter of Patricia (Kammermeier) and Louis Hennen. She grew up on a farm near Cold Spring, Minnesota, and was the oldest of her five siblings. Char received her three-year RN nursing diploma from St. Cloud School of Nursing in 1979 where she made lifelong friends who would routinely gather for reunions. She then worked as an RN at St. Mary’s hospital in Rochester. Char married Mark Birkedal at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Cold Spring on August 18, 1984. They returned to operate the family farm near Nora Springs and later moved to their current farm, also in the Nora Springs area. Char continued to work as an RN until the arrival of her children and her MS diagnosis, after which she became a stay at home mom and combine operator. Char was a member of Rock Creek Lutheran Church of Cross Roads Parish. She loved working in her flower gardens, interior design, antiquing, baking, and reading, but what she loved most was spending time with her family. Char enjoyed playing card games and board games with her family and with her card club friends, and she would always look forward to her trips to the CRC.       

Char is survived by her husband, Mark Birkedal of rural Nora Springs, Iowa; her children, Brian (Kristina) Birkedal of Osage, Iowa, Scott (Rachel) Birkedal of Clear Lake, Iowa, and Eric Birkedal of Nora Springs, Iowa; four grandchildren, Elena, JoAnna, Charlie, and Carter; her father, Louis Hennen of Cold Spring, Minnesota; brothers and sisters, Tom (Lisa) Hennen of New Munich, Minnesota, Sandy (Jim) Svihel of Cold Spring, Minnesota, Kevin (Tracey) Hennen of Cold Spring, Minnesota, Lori (Damien) Ihrig of Iowa City, and Kerry Youso of St. Cloud, Minnesota; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Patricia (Kammermeier) Fazio; mother-in-law, Alice Birkedal; and father-in-law, Palmer Birkedal.

Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home 641-732-3706
www.champion-bucheitfuneralhome.com