A memorial service to celebrate the life of Beverly Holtan has been scheduled for Friday, July 8, 2022, at 11:30 am at Charity Lutheran Church, 120 Aspen Ave in Bismarck. It was Beverly's wish that service attendees wear bright, cheerful colors. For those unable to attend, the service will be live-streamed at https://charitylutheran.online.church/ . Beverly died July 28, 2021 in Bismarck. Memorials preferred to Ingersoll Veeder Cemetery Assoc., 520 Washington St., Turtle Lake ND, 58575, Riverview Cemetery, 1306 5 ^th Ave., Washburn ND, 58577 or a charity of your choice. Floral tributes can be delivered to Charity Lutheran Church. Interment will be at Riverview Cemetery, Washburn at 3pm. Please visit www.goetzfuneralhomes.com for further updates. (Goetz Funeral Home – Washburn)

Beverly Joy Holtan was born in Underwood, North Dakota on February 13, 1922 to Oscar and Elsie (McDonald) Nordquist. She lived on the family farm between Turtle Lake and Underwood until she was eight years old, when their farm home burned down and they moved to Washburn. Bev attended the Hanson School through third grade and graduated from Washburn High School in 1940.

She graduated as a Registered Nurse from the Bismarck Hospital School of Nursing in Bismarck in 1944. For her third year of training, she joined the United States Cadet Nurse Corps in its first year of existence, and was stationed at Fitzsimons Army Hospital in Aurora, Colorado. Following graduation, she spent nearly a year working as a special nurse in San Antonio, TX, to include the Brooke Army Medical Center.

Beverly returned home and married her long-time sweetheart Orville Clifford Holtan on September 9, 1945. They made their home in Washburn where they raised four children. Bev and Orv enjoyed close family ties to their siblings and fourteen nieces and nephews. Orv helped operate the family business, Holtan Mercantile, while Bev continued her nursing career in Garrison, Turtle Lake and Bismarck, retiring in 1984.

Bev and Orv moved to Bismarck in 1971 and enjoyed spending their winters in Arizona, until his death in 2003. Beverly was a progressive thinker when it came to health care and was an early advocate for women's self-care. She was even featured in a television commercial, where she encouraged women to get annual mammograms.

Bev enjoyed the outdoors and she worked at staying physically fit her entire life. She was a lifelong sports fan and passionately followed her teams at the collegiate and professional levels. When her children were young, she coached Little League baseball in Washburn. She enjoyed playing softball, finally retiring from the sport at age 62. She was a skilled player of Scrabble and Bridge, and for years participated in league bowling – even rolling a 220 the week of her 96 ^th birthday. Bev walked daily with friends until they were no longer with her, and at age 99 she still walked the halls of her apartment building several times a day and rode the exercise bike several times each week. Her healthy competitive spirit was evident in everything she did.

Beverly became a member of the American Legion Auxiliary at age 23 and in 2020 celebrated 75 years of membership.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Orville; brothers, Donald "Spence" Nordquist, and Gerald "Stork" Nordquist and a sister, Lucille Ralston.

Bev is survived by daughters, Kathy Wilner (Jim Buchmiller) of Bowdon, ND and Barb Heist of Colorado Springs, CO; sons Bruce (Jane) Holtan of Aiken, SC and Timothy (Laurie) Holtan of Sykesville, MD; nine grandchildren; six great grandchildren; six bonus grandchildren; many great and great-great bonus grandchildren and eleven nieces and nephews.

Memorials suggested to:  Riverview Cemetery Washburn ND or Ingersoll Veeder Cemetery Assoc. Turtle Lake ND.