Charlene (Bridges) ALBERS

BRIDGES, ALBERS, INGEBRITSON, ALFORD, FURRY, OLSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:41

Charlene Albers
October 22, 1941 --- August 8, 2022

Char Albers, 80, of Dundas, Minnesota, passed away peacefully after a brief battle with leukemia with her grandchildren and children by her side on Aug. 8th, 2022.

Char was born on Oct. 22, 1941, to Bill and Alice (Ingebritson) Bridges in Dows, Iowa. She grew up on a small farm and was taught to work hard, be honest and kind, and that family always matters most.

After high school, Char left the farm and spent two years at Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa; then received her degree in elementary education at Dana College in Blair, Neb. She was hungry for adventure and headed west to teach in Huntington Beach, Calif. After a year, she moved to St. Louis Park, Minn., jokingly telling her friends she was going there to marry a farmer. After a few years of teaching (with solo trips to Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand sprinkled in), she did just that when she met her soulmate, Gene Albers.

Char and Gene were married at Albers Park on June 27, 1970, and shortly thereafter they bought and moved to one of the original Albers family homesteads previously owned and farmed by Clarence and Ellen Albers. They welcomed four kids over the next 5 years and raised their family on the farm.

Char was born to be a mom. She was selfless and always there with a listening ear. She continually let them know she trusted them, believed in them, laughed with them, and loved them through anything they were facing. She treasured raising her kids alongside her sister-in-law Cheri Albers, who had four children of her own. They leaned on each other through the chaos, joy, laughter and tears that life brings to the very end.

In 1986, the A&A Portable Restroom business was born. Char was there every mile of the way up until Char and Gene's retirement in 2005. She gladly traded in her toilet cleaning gloves for the gardening variety, where she would spend hours in her flower garden. She said raising kids is a lot like pruning flowers; once in a while you have to prune the old flowers so they can bring forth their best blooms.

Char and Gene spent the last 17 years wintering in Lake Havasu, Ariz. at the Quality Inn and Suites, Room 240 to be exact. Char enjoyed the free continental breakfast with Gene each morning, coffee with her friends at the local Kmart and taking long walks. She also enjoyed the sparkly clean room she returned to complements of the hotel housekeeping staff.

Her grandchildren were the light of her life, and each had a unique and special connection with Grandma Char. She cherished watching the sunrise on the porch each morning, listening to her gospel music, then talking to the grandkids and "solving the world's problems" before they went off to school or on to their next adventure. The grandkids looked forward to "Grandma's cooking show" on Saturdays, where there was guaranteed laughter, a little bit of mayhem, and most of the time an edible finished product. Grandma Char enjoyed adventures big and small with the grandkids, whether it was trips to the grocery store, riding through the countryside, or simply going through the car wash. They will forever hold onto the solid life advice she offered, be it on the porch or via letters mailed across the country.

Char led her life with understated grace and dignity, never wanting to be in the limelight but instead focused on making anyone in her presence feel like they were the most important person in the room. Her ability to hold and spread joy was her greatest gift, as she was always poised to share a smile or spread a good laugh.

Char is survived by her children Stephanie (Jim) Alford of Bloomington, Andy (Laura) Albers of Northfield, Libby (Justin) Furry of Washington D.C., and David (Shelly) Albers of Dundas; siblings Jan Olson of Aptos, CA; and Harold Bridges of Jacksonville, Fla.; and nine grandchildren, Jens and Rose Alford, Katie, Ben, Molly, Isaac and Macy Albers, and Anya and Asher Furry. She is preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Gene Albers; brother Bob Bridges, parents Alice and Bill Bridges, and nephews Lee and Guy Albers.

A graveside service was held for her immediate family at Oaklawn Cemetery in Northfield. To celebrate Char's life, take in a quiet sunrise, enjoy a root beer float, and always remember to laugh. Monetary donations in her honor can also be made to Brighton Blessings, c/o Brighton Hospice, 2010 Jefferson Rd. Suite D, Northfield, MN 55057.

https://www.biermanfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Charlene-Albers?obId=25548917#/obituaryInfo