Gloria May (Hendrickson) Kersting

Gloria May (Hendrickson) Kersting, of Bemidji, died Thursday, April 16, 2026 at Gold Pine Home. Gloria was 85 years old. She was born on September 28, 1940 in Crosby, Mn to Henry Maynard and Alice (Jenkins) Hendrickson.  

Memorial Services will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday, April 25, 2026 at Olson-Schwartz Funeral Home, Bemidji with Pastor Jerry Johnson officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Gloria was the oldest of three children. As a young girl, she loved playing with her dog, Boots, a springer spaniel. She also loved going for rides in the car, helping her dad catch minnows to go fishing, attending church with her mom, catching fire flies & frogs, going on picnics, roasting marshmallows over the camp fires, swimming & playing with her cousins. Many people called her “Dimples” because of her deep charming dimples. Another favorite was going up in the hay loft and swinging down to the ground from a big rope.

Gloria finished 10th Grade and dropped out of school where she became employed at the Brainerd Paper Mill cleaning glue, grease and dirt from the glue wheel and conveyer belts. She later shared that was the worst job she ever had! However, she met a handsome man who also worked there and offered to give her a ride to work then back home where she still lived with her parents. His name was Lyle Nichols. They eventually married and had one child together, Cindy Marie. Gloria was a step mom to Lyle’s sons, Greg & Gary and was a homemaker. They enjoyed gardening, fishing, motorcycle rides, hosting family dinners and card games.

A number of years later, Gloria and Lyle divorced. Gloria earned her certificate as a CNA and worked at Cedar Brook Manor in Deerwood, Mn until it closed where she then gained employment at the Cuyuna Range Nursing Home in Crosby, Mn. She was able to purchase a home. Gloria joined a singles group and this is where she met and married Charles Kersting and moved to his home in Cohasset, MN. They enjoyed hosting family holidays, car rides, gardening and boating. 

Many years later, Gloria and Charles divorced. Gloria moved to Bemidji to be near her family and lived at Baker Park and then Gold Pine. She decided to make the Evangelical Free Church of Bemidji her home church. She enjoyed all the additional time spent with her daughter, grandchildren and great grandchildren as well as making new friends. Gloria enjoyed baking, especially her pies and caramel rolls, holidays and church potlucks. She will be well remembered for her story telling over coffee by many.

Gloria is survived by her daughter, Cindy (Bryan) Bidinger of Bemidji. Grandchildren Krista (Chris) Scanlan of Puposky and Thomas Jonsten of Duluth. Great Grandchildren Leah and Ethan Scanlan of Puposky. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Kenneth and Maynard and daughter-n-law, Bonnie.

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