Harriet Ione Berg Pierce, 89

Harriet Ione Berg Pierce passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 30, 2020. She was 89 years old.

Ione, as she was always known by, had resided at the Whitefish Care and Rehab Center in Whitefish since 2012.

Ione was born at home on Sept. 26, 1930 in rural Warwick, North Dakota, the daughter of John O. Berg and Mary F. Long. She was raised in the Woodlake area and attended grade school in Tokio, North Dakota and high school in Devils Lake, North Dakota.

On Nov. 10, 1947, she was united in marriage to Calvin Petersen. Ione and Cal ranched and farmed south of Devils Lake for many years. They divorced after several years and in July, 1984 Ione married Joe Pierce of Kenmare, North Dakota and moved to Kenmare.

Ione was always a farm woman, she could handle any chore necessary on the farm, including milking cows when it was 30 below zero.

When Ione wasn’t working on the farm she worked at these various jobs in the Devils Lake area, Sioux Manufacturing, Super Value, Bell Isle Country Store and babysitting for families in the Devils Lake area. In Kenmare, she baked pies for a café and worked for Meals on Wheels. Ione will always be remembered for her quick wit.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Joe; as well as her two sisters and two brothers-in-law, Esther Petersen Rahn (Arnold Petersen) and Jeannette Burdick (Gordon); and two nephews Wayne (Skinny) Petersen and Bob Burdick.

She is survived by her nieces and nephews, Bill Burdick of Devils Lake, Kathy Moos of Aberdeen, South Dakota, Judy Brosz of Bismark, John Petersen and Susie Lamberson of Whitefish and Carolyn Barton of Kalispell. Also surviving Ione are her two stepchildren Jody Marmon and John Pierce; and stepgranddaughters Kiley and Lacey Marmon, all of North Dakota.

Graveside services will take place at Farview Cemetery Tuesday, April 7 at 10 a.m. She will be laid to rest next to her sister Esther.