Bertha Dahl

Written by Madeline Neprud Anderson

Photo on left:  1983 ground breaking for Bekkum Memorial Library. Left to right:  Bertha Dahl,
Paul Schoenberger, Rev. Hubert Groves, Owen Bekkum with the shovel, and Leif Mikkelson.  
Photo on right:  Bertha Dahl, circa 1996  (Bekkum Memorial Library photos) 

 It has been said that Bertha was a driving force, a tireless volunteer, an exceptional teacher, and altruistic, yet quiet, soft spoken, mild-mannered, and modest. That list of wonderful qualities and talents shined best when Bertha was advocating for her love of the library. She was a long-time Westby library user and, when the library was located upstairs of what was then City Hall on West State Street, she would climb the 32 steps feeling sorry for those who couldn’t. Bertha felt strongly that libraries should be accessible to everyone. Bertha is the one who started the campaign to have a new library built in Westby. Undaunted that a referendum to do so did not pass, she set to work organizing citizens’ committees and making signs such as, “Dream with us…hope with us…plan and work with us for a new library in the sometime future.”

Bertha served on the Library Board of Trustees and spent countless hours contacting people for private support to build a new library. Her efforts were kick-started by a generous donation from Westby High School graduate, Owen Bekkum, and his wife, Dorothy. Other generous donations followed. The Bekkum Memorial Public Library, dedicated in 1984, is a testament to her hard work. Bertha served on the library board for 38 years, was president for 37 of those years. Margaret Veum, who served on the library board with Bertha, said that “Bertha worked tirelessly providing positive library experiences for all ages.” Bertha retired at the age of 88, only because she felt that her declining health would not permit her to be her best in working for the library. She believed that “a library brings a community together. It is a key educational tool and broadens the aspect of a city.” She worked with librarian Joan Dahlen for many years, and finally stepped down from the position of library Board President in 2004. Unable to attend Bertha’s retirement-from-the-board party, Paul Schoenberger, Westby school district administrator at that time, sent a letter where he shared that “Bertha is a true progressive leader, always trying to make things better for people and never putting herself first. She is a great treasure to the Westby area.”

 

On a personal note, Bertha was my father’s cousin and often came to our home in La Crosse for visits. She was our family historian extraordinaire, making hand-written genealogy charts, and keeping notebooks filled with family histories and family documents. Her research and annotations were the key for me discovering ancestry and family lineage information that could have been lost forever. She knew who was related to whom, and never forgot a birthday. She stayed in touch with relatives and family, and would drive for miles to visit those who did not live in Westby.

Bertha loved classical music; when you visited with her, an opus from Bach or Beethoven would often be playing in the background on Wisconsin Public Radio. She loved to grow things and kept fantastic flower and vegetable gardens. She would always share her bounty with others. She had remarkable energy and agility. She was kind, generous with her time, and an extraordinary example to follow for serving a community and giving back.

 

Bertha was never a wife or mother but she had a family of schoolchildren, her community and her very special “baby” – the library. She passed away on Aug. 21, 2005 at the age of 89 and is interred in the family plot at Westby Coon Prairie Cemetery. She was a very special person and we are sure that there are many stories to hear.