Beverly Nisja

Bev Nisja, 87 of Barrett, died Wednesday, September 13, 2023, at St. Francis Nursing Home, Breckenridge, MN.

Bev was born on February 13, 1936, at her parents' farm in Lawrence Township, Grant County, Minnesota, and was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Nashua. She attended country school near Wendell and graduated in 1954 from the Tintah Public School.

Bev married Julian Larson, Jr. in April 1956; the couple later divorced. She was married to James Nisja on July 24, 1965, and they made their home in Barrett.

Through the years, Bev worked in Elbow Lake at the Corner Cafe and Rowdy's Lunch and Pikop's Variety Store, and sold Avon products for many years in the Barrett area. In 2004, she retired from Barrett Automatic after working in the shop for a few years. She also volunteered at the Barrett Care Center helping the folks play Bingo.

An avid gardener, Bev took great pride in having the rows of canned tomatoes, beans, pickles and salsa on the shelves in the basement each fall. She was a great cook and baker – one did not leave her home hungry. She also enjoyed embroidery and made many dish towel sets for family and friends.

Beverly was preceded in death by her parents Floyd and Esther (Totzke) Shuck, brothers Rodney, Garry (infant) and Orrie, and two sons-in-law, Richard Johnson and Kevin McKay.

Survivors include her husband Jim, children Deb (Les), Glen, Julie (Tom), and Harley, one grandson Matthew, and one great-granddaughter Taylor, sister-in-law Linda Shuck, two nieces and three nephews, step-grandchildren Sarah (Wyatt) Tulp, Neil (Charlene) McKay and Amanda Nielsen and step-great-grandchildren Noah, Paige, Ari, Lux and Mia.

Visitation will be from 2:00 to 4:00 PM Monday, September 18, 2023, at the Erickson-Smith Funeral Home in Elbow Lake.