Hugh Allen Bertelsen

Hugh Bertelsen died on November 4th, 2026, after having led an extraordinary ordinary life for 97 years.

Hugh was the third of eight kids, born in the spring of 1929 on the family farm near Almena, Wisconsin. His parents were a mixed marriage of a Danish father, Herman and a German mother, Mayme. It took awhile for his Danish grandfather to accept this situation. When Hugh was 18, he began working for the telephone company installing the first phone lines in the township. After a few years he was antsy to see the world, so he joined the Army. He was stationed in Washington State, where he met some great guys, caught huge fish, and learned all about electricity. While he was back on leave, his brother Loren introduced him to a pretty gal from Black River Falls named Jean Anderson. They were married shortly after he got out of the Army.

The family grew to include the four K's -- Kathy, Kevin, Ken & Karolyn. After the Army, Hugh began working for Northern States Power (NSP). In 1966 Hugh became a District Representative and moved his family to Baldwin. Hugh quickly learned his way around his district and before long he knew everyone by name and location. And before long everyone knew Hugh -- he loved to talk and share stories and learn about the people in his district. Hugh was called out whenever there was a bad storm or blown transformer and Jean was at home inundated with calls from people who had lost electricity. He worked long hours to make sure the electricity was restored and the lights stayed on. In 1972, Hugh was named NSP Citizen of the Year because of his service to the community. Hugh served as Clerk on the BW School Board. He also taught Hunter Safety classes.

Hugh and Jean were very involved members of Gethsemane Lutheran Church, where they taught Sunday School and were Luther League advisors. They took large groups of raucous high school kids to Holden Village in Washington State and to New Orleans for a Luther League Convention. Hugh finished his career at Excel Energy, working as a dispatcher, guiding the crews working with high voltage, and was valued for his calm and clear instructions.

After retirement, Hugh and Jean traveled to visit family and friends all over the country. They were always "headed" somewhere! Headed to Montana to visit Kathy and the girls! Headed to California to visit Ginny & Dave! Headed to Florida to visit Kevin! Headed to the Cities to watch Tyler and Kelsey in their numerous activities! When not traveling, Hugh could be found in his workshop where everything was sorted and labeled. He could fix or make anything and everything! He was a master tinkerer. 

Hugh will be missed by Kevin, Ken, Jolene and Karolyn & Tim -- Jean and Kathy will be very happy to see him again. His grandchildren, Heather (Josh) , Erin, Tyler & Kelsey (Matthew) will forever remember him as a loving, generous, kind presence in their lives. The five great-grandsons Kyle, Ryan, Braden, Tanner and Camden will remember "Great" and the many trips he took to see them.

A funeral service for Hugh Bertelsen will be held at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Baldwin on Wednesday, November 18, at 11:00AM, with visitation one hour prior. We invite friends and family to stay and reminiscence about Hugh while we enjoy his one of his favorite meals. Burial will be in the Riverside Cemetery in Black River Falls.

Funeral services are entrusted to O’Connell Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Baldwin. For more information or to share a memory, please visit www.oconnellfuneralhomes.com or call 715-386-3725.