Elsie Bessingpas, 89, of Spring Valley, Minn., died Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, at Seasons Hospice in Rochester, Minn.

Elsie May Bridges was born Nov. 25, 1922, in Arcadia, Neb., to Elmer and Lillie (Welty) Bridges. After graduation she attended normal training and received her teaching certificate. She taught country school for a number of years in Nebraska and Minnesota. On April 6, 1947, she was united in marriage to Willie Bock in Granger, Minn. He passed away in January 1973. Elsie was later married to Ronald Bessingpas on April 3, 1977, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. Elsie was a member of The Cosmopolitan Club and Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Spring Valley and was active in the church’s WELCA, bible study group and sang in the church choir. She enjoyed sewing, cooking and watching all kinds of sports especially college and high school basketball.

She is survived by two children, Eileen Bock of Torrance, Calif., and Duane Bock of Elgin, Minn.; three step-sons, Richard (Joan) Bessingpas of Preston, Minn., Percy (Paula) Bessingpas of Stewartville, Minn., and Paul (Judy) Bessingpas of Rochester, Minn.; 13 step-grandchildren and several step-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands, an infant son Robert in 1949, one brother Glen and two step-sons.

Funeral services for Elsie M. Bessingpas will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Spring Valley with the Rev. Dennis Timmerman officiating. Burial will be in the Bloomfield Cemetery, Bloomfield Township, Fillmore County. Visitation will be held on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. till time of services at the church. Condolences may be left at www.hindtfuneralhomes.com