Shirley Belgarde, 79, Minot and formerly of rural Granville died on Tuesday, November 24, 2020 in a Minot hospital. She was surrounded by her loving family.

Shirley Ann was born on October 8, 1941 on the family farm in Falsen Township of McHenry County near Verendrye, ND to Oliver and Eva (Pfeilschiefter) Swensrud. She was raised on the family farm, attended rural schools and graduated from Minot State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Work.

Shirley's first husband Richard Kramer died on May 3, 1972. Richard had just completed a full Navy career as an aviation mechanic before succumbing to cancer. During their 14 year marriage, Shirley and Richard lived in multiple states and had their first four children. Her second child Jeffrey Kramer died as an infant and is buried in Rhode Island. Just prior to Richard's death, the family moved back to her home state of North Dakota with their three young children. Shirley then completed her education in social work and began a 15 year career as a Social Worker for Trinity Nursing Home in Minot.

In 1982, Shirley met Vincent Belgarde and soon thereafter got married in Minot. Shirley and Vincent had one child together Kristen Belgarde. Vincent passed away in 2013.

Following her employment with Trinity Nursing Home, Shirley continued her life of giving by becoming a foster parent to numerous children in need, providing a safe haven on her hobby farm in rural Granville. Parenting is what defined Shirley, nurturing dozens of children during her foster parenting years. Shirley welcomed two young foster children into her own family by assuming legal guardianship of Luke Wallace and by adopting Brandon Hanson as her own son in 2007.

Her hobby farm was a special place with Arabian horses, miniature horses, peacocks, African guinea hens, pigs, hedgehogs as well as geese, chickens, turkeys, pheasants, rabbits and goats. She continued to reside on the farm between Norwich and Granville until she moved to Minot in 2018.

Shirley was an active member of Norwich Lutheran Church where she served as a Sunday School Teacher for more than twenty-five years and was especially proud to have had her own children and grandchildren in class. She especially enjoyed gardening, antiquing, flea markets, garage sales, baking, canning, sewing, reading, camping, Christmas music and fishing, even though she was never very successful catching fish. Shirley especially enjoyed travel with her children, highlights being: Mexico, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Hawaii, Alaska as well as a Caribbean Cruise and African Safari.

Shirley's loving family includes her children: Deborah (Richard) Berg of Andover MN, Jerry Kramer of Fridley MN, Richard Kramer of Saratoga CA, Kristen Mauldin and Brandon Belgarde both of Minot and Luke Wallace of Chester Springs PA; grandchildren: Allison Kramer, Emily Kramer, Avayah Myhre, and Arianna Mauldin; siblings: Orlan (Debra) Swensrud of Minot, Betty Larson of Minot, Donald (Galen) Swensrud of Minneapolis and Roger (Debra) Swensrud of Pittsburgh and several nieces, nephews and cousins, as well as her three stepchildren Michael Nelson, Corey Nelson and Tabatha Nelson, all currently residing in Minnesota.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, husband: Richard Kramer, infant son: Jeffrey Kramer, sister: Rhonda Geyer and infant nephew: Erik Swensrud.

Public Visitation: Sunday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Thomas Family Funeral Home - Minot. Face coverings are required and social distancing is strongly encouraged.
Private Celebration of the Life of Shirley Belgarde: Monday, November 30, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. in Norwich Lutheran Church - Norwich.
A livestream of the service will be available by using https://www.mtmsales.net/thomas
Interment will be in Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery - Velva.
Memorials are preferred to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, NEXUS-PATH Family Healing or the Norwich Lutheran Church.