Mavis Bjella

Mavis Bjella, 96, of Milbank, SD, passed away on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, at Avantara in Milbank.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, December 22, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. at Mundwiler Funeral Home in Milbank. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the funeral service. Pastor Chris Davis will officiate, and interment will be at Milbank City Cemetery.

Mavis Martha Bjella was born at St. Bernard’s Hospital in Milbank, SD, on February 9, 1927. She was the daughter of Frank and Martha (Bohlen) Schwandt. Mavis grew up in the Milbank area and graduated from Milbank High School. After graduation, she worked as a clerk at JC Penney in Aberdeen, SD, and later in Jamestown, ND. She resided in Fargo, ND, for a few years after her retirement. In July 2020, she moved back to Milbank and resided at Avantara until her death.

Mavis was united in marriage with Leon E. Bjella on November 30, 1962. Together, they were blessed with 45 years of marriage and three daughters: Linda, Jody, and Peggy. Mavis was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and St. John’s Lutheran Church in Fargo. A lover of country music, she enjoyed attending concerts and traveling to Nashville, TN, and Branson, MO, with Leon. Mavis adored cats and always had a pet cat in her home. She enjoyed shopping and hot fudge sundaes from Dairy Queen. In the summertime, she enjoyed flower gardening. She was especially fond of geraniums and the color pink. She was an avid reader, and in her younger years, a softball competitor.

Mavis is survived by her daughters: Linda Sandbeck of Fargo, ND; Jody Schonberg of Fargo, ND; and Peggy Anderson of Fargo, ND; sister, Vera Easterby of Milbank, SD; grandchildren: Jason, Chad, Lisa, and Andy; and three great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents: Frank and Martha; husband, Leon Bjella; and siblings: Bill Schwandt, Robert Schwandt, and Doreen Chan.