Vivian Levering

Vivian Levering, 88, died Friday, Sept. 11, 2009, at the Douglas County Hospital in Alexandria. Funeral services for Vivian will be held at 11:00 am Thursday, Sept. 17, at United Lutheran Church in Elbow Lake with Pastor Bob Toso officiating. Burial will be in the Vining Cemetery. Visitation is one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday. Vivian Rosemary Levering was born in Oslo on November 27, 1920, as the younger of two sisters to Signe and Karl Johanesen. She grew up and went to school in Oslo, where she married her first husband, Arild Bjorkmann, in 1940. At the end of the war in occupied Norway, they had a son, Wiran, her only child. Following a divorce, she left the family a few years later. Living in Oslo and working at the American Embassy, she later met Ed Levering in the mid fifties, as he was stationed in Norway for several years. They were married in Oslo in l958. After being stationed in England for several more years, they moved to Los Angeles, California, in the early sixties. Ed had then been employed with Rocketdyne, working with missiles and eventually joined the moon-landing program. They continued their life in Los Angeles until the mid eighties, until Ed retired and they moved back to Ed's home state of Minnesota. They first settled on a farm outside of Elbow Lake for about ten years, and later moved in to town on 8th Avenue. With concern for Ed's declining health, he was moved to a care home, where he passed away in 2007. Vivian was on her own until failing health required moving to care centers, first to Barrett and later to Alexandria, where she passed away almost 89 years old. In Vivian's early years in Norway, she was a model, and occasionally worked as a caterer for the King of Norway. She loved the outdoors enjoying hiking and skiing with her son and Ed. She and Ed were members of the Sons of Norway in Minnesota, entertaining with her Norwegian cooking, and making decorations for many events. She often sang at different functions in her home church. Vivian also enjoyed knitting, getting together with friends, gardening, and was especially excited with the marriage of her only grandson and having great-grandchildren. She is survived by her son, Wiran Bjorkmann (wife Hege) of Norway; step-daughter Elaine (Levering) Reid of California; grandson Ole Bjorkmann (wife Hege) and two great-grandchildren, Hedda and Sindre, all residing in Norway; brother-in-law, Arne Ogden of Norway; nephew, Arve Dybvik (wife Anne) of Norway; nieces, Janet (Levring) Miles (husband Bob) of Vining; Judy (Levring) Thomsen (husband Ernie) of Vining; Ellen Ann Keiter (husband Richard) of Illinois, Phyllis (Levring) Silvers of Colorado; nephews, Milt Paulson (wife Linda) of Clitherall; Clayton Paulson (wife Marta) of Oregon; Dennis Paulson of Virginia; Jerome Paulson (wife Judy) of Minnesota; and many other great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Ed, and her sister Elsie Dybvik.

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