Edna Keiser Cairns, 98, Minot and formerly of Berthold, died Monday, April 10, 2017 in a Minot hospital.

Edna Irene Berry was born on June 9, 1918 on the family farm in Passport Township of Ward County near Berthold, ND to Sidney and Ethel (Longanecker) Berry. She was raised and educated in Berthold, graduated from Berthold High School in 1935 and attended night school where she received training in typing and bookkeeping. During the years of the Great Depression, those skills led to employment by the Berthold School Superintendent.

Edna was united in marriage to Fred Keiser on October 29, 1939 in Minot. They raised their two children at their home in Berthold and farmed in the Berthold area for many years. Edna was very active in the operation of the farm, where she cooked three meals a day for the hired help, put in a big garden every year, and also put her bookkeeping skills to good use. They spent the winter months in Arizona for several years. Fred died in 1989.

Edna married Russell Cairns on September 18, 1993 in Berthold. They resided in Berthold and Minot prior to his death on November 11, 2006. Most recently, Edna had been a resident of The View in Minot where she made many new friends during the past ten years that she resided there.

Edna's hobbies included golfing, gardening, reading, crocheting and playing cards. She received many awards for her flowers and gardening. Her favorite hobby was crocheting, which allowed her the enjoyment of giving away many of her creations to friends and family. She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Berthold where she was active in the ZLCW and taught Sunday School. Also, she was a member of the Berthold American Legion Auxiliary.

Her loving family includes: son, Fred Jr. (Etoile) Keiser, Minot; son-in-law, Jim Bergo, Minot; six grandchildren: Tammy (Casey) Tompkins, Toni (Kim) Cady, Debbie (Kevin Overland) Harris, Tana (Kris) Thorfinnson, Stephanie (Kyle) Wurgler and Mitch Keiser; ten great grandchildren: Travis Cady, Marisa Cady, McKinzey (Aaron) Fockler, Grant (Lindsay) Thorfinnson, Karley (James) Miles, Paisley Wurgler, Keiser Wurgler, Alison Keiser, Mara Keiser, Jack Keiser; one great-great-grandchild: Noryn Miles; sister: Marlene DeLong and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands: Fred Keiser Sr. and Russell Cairns; daughter, Kaye Bergo; brothers: Emmert, Gerald, Henry, Wayne and Paul Berry; sisters: Beulah Glasner, Dorothy Lee and Helen Laughridge.

Celebration of Life Service : Monday, April 24, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. in Zion Lutheran Church, Berthold.
Interment: Wildrose Cemetery, Berthold
Visitation: Sunday from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. in Thomas Family Funeral Home, Minot.
Memorials in lieu of plants and flowers the family prefers memorials to the Minot Area Community Foundation, Zion Lutheran Church, Berthold, or an organization of the donor's choice.