Rosella DeLoris (Bechtold) Wilkerson, 85, went to be with her heavenly father at Trinity Nursing Home, in Minot ND on July 14, 2015.

Rosella was born on February 13, 1930 to Ted and Lydia Bechtold, in Surrey, N.D. The family moved to a farm south of Sawyer, N.D, where she lived until they later moved to Minot. She attended school and later graduated from Minot High School in 1948. Rosella attended Tomlinson Bible College where she met her future husband Delbert. She was united in marriage to Rev. Delbert M. Wilkerson in 1952 and they had two children together, Darrel Lee and Carole Rae. Rosella also attended Minot State College in 1972 and 1973. In 1963, Rosella renovated her grandparents sod house South of Sawyer that had been built in 1900.

They lived in Missouri, North Dakota and Montana, pastoring churches in these states and also built the Church Of God Indian Mission in New Town, North Dakota. Rosella and her family were all adopted by the Three Affiliated Tribes in New Town and given the Indian name of White Feathers. They divorced and he returned to Mississippi.

Rosella loved to garden and can her harvest. She enjoyed sewing and would volunteer through many church women's clubs involved in sewing baby clothes and layettes for infants. She also enjoyed making both wedding and birthday cakes and to make crocheted afghan\'s of all sizes. She loved to play the piano, and sing. She was active with the Parker Senior Citizens and First Baptist Church XYZ group. She loved her two dogs. Telling everyone her stories of yester-year was probably her favorite past-time, and she would talk for hours sharing with anyone who would listen. In later years, she started writing down all these stories to be shared. She was once employed at the former St. Joseph\'s hospital and Baker, Montana Hospital.

Rosella worked in Minot area private homes, cleaning and taking elderly to appointments until 2001, when health issues forced her to retire. Working in her yard, gardening along with canning came to a halt. Most recently, when her health failed enough that home health care was necessary, she loved her care nurses and looked forward to their several times a week arrival. Rosella entered Trinity Nursing Home in June 2015 and she loved being there.

Rosella is survived by: her children, Darrel of Minot, ND; Carole of Foley, Alabama; 7 grandchildren. Compton (Kendall), South Dakota, Krystie Faulkner, Georgia; Darrel II (Nickle), Minot, ND; Diane (Brett) Tetrault, Bowbells, ND; Randy Wilkerson, Minot, ND; Jennifer Wilkerson, Minot, ND; Austin Wilkerson, Williston ND. 14 great grandchildren: Miranda, Hannah & Grace Faulkner, Richard Wilkerson, Mathieu Vance; Madison Vance; Jared Wilkerson, Alyssa Maroney, Tyler Faulkner, Rebecca "Becca" Maroney, Matthew Holm, Hayden Tetrault, Jessica Libke, Kendra Tetrault, and several nieces and nephews.

Rosella was preceded in death by her parents, all of her siblings, and their spouses, grandson, Darrel Lee Wilkerson Jr., and great grandson Brady Evan Faulkner.

Memorial service: Thursday, September 17, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. in the Trinity Nursing Home Chapel, Minot.
Int erment: Snowbird Cemetery, rural Newtown, ND.
The family prefers memorials.