Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 272148
Title: Peggy J. Bearce
Date: 5/7/1950-2/19/2026
Inscription/Marks: 5/7/1950
Summary: Peggy Jean Bearce, 75, of Williston, ND, passed away February 19, 2026, at her residence. Her funeral was held February 27, 2026, at Light of Christ Lutheran Church, in Williston. Burial was in Bethany Valley Cemetery in Epping, ND. Peggy Joan Halseth was born May 7th, 1950, to Elmer and Ethel (Skoglund) Halseth in Williston, ND. She joined her three older brothers and her sister at the family farm north of Epping. She attended elementary school at Stewart school, which was a one-room schoolhouse where she had the same teacher for eight years. She attended Epping High School and graduated with the class of 1968. She was a very proud Epping Eagle and loved planning the reunions during Buffalo Trails Day. After high school she went to Wahpeton and obtained her secretarial degree. While in high school, during basketball season, she met a good-looking guy from Buford, ND, who would eventually become her husband. Peggy Halseth and Theodore Bearce were united in marriage on August 11, 1973, at Epping Lutheran Church. To this union three children were born, Rebecca (Becky) born in 1976, Pamela (Pam) born in 1979, and their son Derek born in 1985. Peggy’s careers included working at MDU, doing daycare, baking and decorating thousands of cakes and the best caramel rolls for the community, and finally retiring from Lutheran Social Services after 23 years. Peggy loved her community and played an integral role in shaping many of the buildings and events that became cherished parts of Williston. She helped start Operation Christmas Child shoes boxes, The Out of the Darkness Walk, the church “Klub” dinners, The Legacy Building, and The Haven House, to name a few over the years. Faith, family, and friends were most important in Peggy’s life. She cared and loved so deeply for everyone, nobody was a stranger. She loved being a Mom and was blessed to become a grandma and great-grandma. Her favorite things were her dogs, walking, writing music, books, and poems. She also loved to paint, draw, plant flowers, listen to music, host holidays and birthdays, cook, bake, and was known for plotting pranks and embarrassing family and friends. Peggy is survived by her husband of 53 years, Theodore Bearce; her daughters, Rebecca (Brian) Clouse and their children Kallen (Caylin), Kamren, Kyren, and Kara Clouse, Pamela (Nathan) Bearce and her children Makaya (Brindon) Parker and Matthew Allard; her son Derek (Erin) Bearce and their son Theo Bearce and great-grandson, Griffin Parker; her brother, Donald (Darlene) Halseth; sisters, Betty Halseth and Judy Halseth; sisters-in-law, Louise Halseth, Bonnie (Richard) Fredericksen, Nancy (Kelly) Gysler, Debbie Bearce, Mary (Shane) Moran; and brother-in-law, Mark (Tammy) Bearce; many nieces, nephews, and all those that called her “Mother Bearce”. She will be missed beyond measure, but we know she is in the arms of Jesus. She was preceded in death by her parents, Elmer and Ethel Halseth; in-laws, Bud and Betty Bearce; brothers, Ernest Halseth and Robert Halseth; brother-in-law, Danny Bearce; sisters-in-law, Joyce Halseth and Laurie Bearce; and her nephew, Beau Moran.
Red ID: FND_I_79640 Image ID: 557354 Image Notes: FND001 272148

Collection: FND001 Digitized Images from Collection
Title: SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Date: -

Summary: The North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program is sponsored by the North Dakota Funeral Directors Association. The life stories of deceased North Dakotans are featured in an archvied collection. Current partners in the project are Eastgate Funeral & Cremation Services, Bismarck Evans Funeral Homes, Carrington and New Rockford Everson-Coughlin Funeral Home, Williston Fulkerson Funeral Home, Tioga Fulkerson Funeral Home, Watford City Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home, Williston Nero Funeral Home, Bottineau Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck Springan Stevenson Funeral Home, Stanley Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson These funeral homes provide recent obituaries to the Foundation, where staff and volunteers format, edit and archive each memorial. The memorials are posted, and copies are sent to the family for their input and approval. The listing currently features more than 13,000 memorials, and is constantly updated as new memorials and histories are received.

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