Echo Bertsch

Echo Bertsch, 89, of Miller, died Thursday, January 04, 2007 at the Hand County Memorial Hospital in Miller.

Funeral services were 10:00a.m. Tuesday, January 9, 2007 at the St. Lawrence Community Church with Rev. John Rasko officiating. Burial was in the St. Lawrence Cemetery, directed by Reck Funeral Home of Miller. Visitation was 1:00-7:00p.m. Monday, January 8 with a 7:00p.m. prayer service at the funeral home.

Echo Zimmermann was born December 8, 1917 to August and Ione (Noel) Zimmermann in Lincoln County, South Dakota. She attended different country schools before graduating from Miller High School in 1936.

On September 16, 1937, she married Albert Bertsch in Miller. They lived in St. Lawrence until 1946 when they moved to the family farm north of Miller. While her children were growing up, she was a 4-H Leader and involved in their many activities as well as helping on the farm. She was a long time member of St. Lawrence Community Church. She was a member of the Modernaires Extension Club. She spent a lot of time at the Senior Citizens Center playing Bingo when she moved off the family farm and into an apartment September of 1993.

She is survived by her son: Merle (Glenda) Bertsch of Miller; her daughter: Marilyn (Jim) Halbig of Los Alamos, NM; son-in-laws: Elwood (Marcia) London of Ann Arbor, MI and Gene Novacek of Craig, CO; grandchildren: Kevin (Marcie) Bertsch of St. Lawrence, Eric (Marla) Bertsch of Miller, Brian (Natalie) Bertsch of Miller, Rex (Michelle) London of Jackson, MI, Karin London of Ann Arbor, MI, Calvin (Shelly) Novacek of Big Fork, MT, and Jennifer (Dennis) DeWitt of Lanesville, IN; great grandchildren: Amber, Nicholas, Colin, Brianne, Nathan, Connor, and Shiloh Bertsch and Will DeWitt; three brothers: Don (Doris) Zimmermann of Glide, OR, Terry (Dareal) Zimmermann and Augie Zimmermann of Klamath Falls, OR; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Albert in 1987; daughters: Carolyn Bertsch London in 1997 and Kathy Bertsch Novacek in 2006; three sisters: Augusta Ridenour, Beatrice Palmer, and Eleanora Gukeisen and sister-in-law: Anita Zimmermann.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to the St. Lawrence Community Church Building Fund.