APG ECM House Account
Bertie Lou was born in their family home in New Munich, Minnesota December 14, 1928. She was the daughter of Herman and Veronica Torborg Behnen. She married Sylvester M. Gruber on June 22, 1954, in New Munich Minnesota at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. They had four children Audrey, Gary, Mary, and Rory.
Bertie Lou was the second oldest of nine siblings. At a young age she started out helping on the family farm doing housework, feeding chickens and pigs, milking cows, and field work.
Later she worked at Melrose Produce in Melrose Minnesota. She then moved to Minneapolis Minnesota where she started working at Greyhound Bus Depot, and then at Peter's Wieners in South Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Bertie Lou and Sylvester met at the wedding of Jerry and Agnes Kleve at the New Munich Ballroom in Minnesota. They have enjoyed 62 years together. They raised their 4 children, working in the garden, going on family vacations and weekly Sunday drives visiting family and friends (with special stops to A&W for root beer). They also loved family trips hunting and fishing together.
When Sylvester retired, they moved to North Branch, Minnesota where they spent the rest of their lives together. They enjoyed gardening, traveling and Sunday drives to a casino or two, and visiting with friends. But most of all, they loved spending time with their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, often getting in the boat and going fishing.
Bertie Lou continued to enjoy life after Sylvester died in 2017. Still enjoying their home and gardening, visiting others, and playing cards. She loved music too. She was always singing and tapping her toes to the beat, sometimes even getting up to dance a little.
Bertie Lou loved spending time with her brother and sisters too. She always had a daily phone chat with them all and was known for keeping everyone informed on the "Behnen Hotline".
They say it was "faster than the internet". Most of all, she loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and her large extended family. What love she had for them all. We will miss her laugh and big smile.
We will miss you deeply Grandma! Love you more.
LINKS
Forest Lake Times
https://www.hometownsource.com/forest_lake_times
Memories
Gallery
Guestbook