Lester John Bertsch

Lester John Bertsch was born to Ted and Hilda Bertsch on Sept. 11, 1935. He was born and raised on the family farm outside of Mott, North Dakota.

He and Marilyn were married in 1957 and had two children, Todd and Kimberlee. Lester served in the army during the Korean War and spent most of his working years working for Montana Power Co. He retired from MPC in the early 1990s, and he and Marilyn were blessed to have been able to travel and see the world for the next 30 years. For the past 27 years, they spent the winters in Yuma, Arizona, where they made many wonderful friends and memories.

Les passed away on Dec. 14, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was preceded in death by his parents and his daughter Kimberlee. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Marilyn; his son Todd (Joni); his son-in-law Bruce Polifka; and his grandchildren, Brittany Bertsch, Landry Bertsch, Austin Polifka and Cody Polifka. He is also survived by his sisters, Gladys Bertsch (Don Smidt), Violet Fahler and Margie Sheppard (William); along with several nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Lester’s life will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at Michelotti-Sawyers Mortuary, 1001 Alderson Ave., Billings, MT 59102. Burial will be at 9 a.m. Monday, June 20, at Yellowstone National Cemetery, 55 Buffalo Trail Road, Laurel, MT 59044.