Bertha 'Bert' M. Pedersen

Bertha M. ‘Bert’ Pedersen passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 12, 2026 at Avamere in Lexington with her daughter by her side.

Bert was born April 11, 1932 at Oconto, Nebraska to Orel E. and Ethel C. Richey. She attended school in Oconto, graduating in 1949, having to stay in town with other family to attend school.

She married Roy Branstiter in 1951 and two children were born to this union, Danny Lynn and Verla Jean. They would later divorce.

On November 3, 1973, Bert married Paul C. Pedersen in Las Vegas. She moved to his family farm where she helped take care of the baby pigs. They were able to travel to Alaska, Europe, Canada, California and Texas. She loved being a farm wife. They built a new home on the farm in 1984. In 2010, they moved to Kearney. After Paul passed away she moved back to Lexington to be closer to her daughter and family.

She like hand quilting and crocheting. When her daughter was young, she made several of her clothes and Barbie doll clothes for her.

She became quite well known for her fabulous pies…especially sour cream raisin. When she was asked to make pies for a church dinner, she went home and cried. But she was determined to learn how and a lot of trial and error happened before perfecting her pies. She always had brownies or cookies in the freezer for anyone that stopped by or the grandkids.

When her oldest great granddaughter was 2, she asked her if she was granny’s sweetie. From then on D’Nae called her Granny Sweetie and all of the great grandkids call her that. She was lovingly known as Granny to the 4 grandkids.

Bert was a member of St. John Lutheran Church at Cozad.

She was preceded in death by her husband Paul; her parents; brothers, William E. and Orel Richey; an infant brother and sister; a daughter in law, Debra Branstiter; and granddaughter, Hilary Ann Branstiter.

Survivors include her children, Danny (Oletta) Branstiter of Ft. Worth, TX and Verla (Bruce) Montey of Cozad; grandchildren, Mandy (Jeff Holsten), Douglas (Sydney) Montey, Aaron (Shauna) Branstiter and Ellen Branstiter; great grandchildren, D’Nae (Jon) Emmitt, Christopher Atteberry, Tre (Sage) Sumrall, Allyson Atteberry and Brendan Libich, Dameon Montey and Maranda Jeratowski, Jaxon Holsten and Jocelyn Chambers, Brooklyn Branstiter and Alex Abels, Landyn Branstiter, Katelyn Montey and AJ Holsten; brother James (Shirley) Richey of Johnstown, CO and sister Barbara Hosner of Lexington; brother in law Bill Pedersen of Lincoln; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends.

Memorials are suggested to St. John Lutheran Church, Cozad or Dawson County Cancer Care Fund. Online condolences may be shared at berrymanfuneralhome.com. Funeral services will be held Monday, April 20, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John Lutheran Church with Pastor Kathy Gundell officiating. Burial will follow at Cozad Cemetery. Visitation with family present will be Sunday, April 19, 2026 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Berryman Funeral Home.