Plumadore, Georgia M. (Bergstrom) age 77, passed away peacefully on August 1st, at home surrounded by her family, after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease.

Georgia was known to many as a loving mother, wife and a proud elementary school teacher. She was also an avid writer and took pleasure in documenting her early life growing up on her parents dairy farm. Here is a snapshot of her early life in her own words:

"Farm life was a major building block that influenced the many decisions I chose on my journey through life. We lived on a dairy farm near Bock, MN. At the age of 5, I entered Dist. 21, the one-room country school near our farm. No kindergarten was available for us country children so first grade was our first school experience. There were 48 students and one teacher, my mother Geraldine Bergstrom. The students ranged from grade one through grade eight. I had 47 "brothers and sisters" when I was in school. There were four of us in first grade. We learned from the older students by listening to their lessons while practicing our first grade assignments. When I was ten years old, my grandparents retired from farming, so our family moved to my grandparents' farm west of Milaca near Estes Brook."

"...I joined 4-H. The 4-H motto was "Make the Good Better and the Better Best." It became the foundation for my life. I enjoyed getting award ribbons and pins for exceptional quality projects. The opportunities and leadership skills I learned gave me a chance to travel to Thailand as an I.F.Y.E. (International Farm Youth Exchange) student. I have been the only person from Mille Lacs County to be selected to the I.F.Y.E. program."

"By that time I was 20 years old, I had spent four years getting my B.A. degree in elementary education from Trinity College in Chicago, Illinois. I got my first teaching license in Cook County Illinois. As soon as I graduated I prepared to go to Thailand by learning to speak the Thai language."

Georgia's time in Thailand spanned 1964 and 1965. Throughout her experience she wrote articles for the StarTribune, Pioneer Press, farming publications and the local newspaper.

After her service in Thailand, Georgia took a job with the Anoka-Hennepin School District, eventually retiring from teaching in 1999. During her time as an educator, she served on many district committees that had a direct impact on thousands of students, specifically in the areas of language arts and handwriting.

In 1971, she met John H. Plumadore at the Sports and Health Club and married him three months later. John and Georgia spent almost a decade together, camping and traveling as a couple before settling in Anoka, MN where they raised their son Charles and daughter Brianne before retiring back to Georgia's family farm in Estes Brook, MN.

In retirement, Georgia stayed busy helping to organize a regional Parkinson's support group, spending countless hours lining up guest speakers and collecting resources to share. She also expanded on her interest in nature and wildlife by focusing her attention on restoring portions of her family farm back to native prairie and wetlands.

Living with Parkinson's was always a challenge in life, but now in death Georgia has elected to donate her body to Parkinson's researchers at the University of Minnesota. Georgia was one of the first candidates at the University of Minnesota to receive Deep Brain Stimulation, or DBS. She left this world knowing the hours of brain surgeries she endured to place probes into sections of her brain ravaged by Parkinson's disease almost a decade ago will be studied and the knowledge gained from this work will make others' lives better.

Georgia's writings and genealogical research will forever be treasured by our family. It is obvious through her compositions that she was in awe of her grandparents and their struggles to survive on the plains of South Dakota ... of her father who labored day and night on the farm and her mother who persevered to receive a college degree. However, it is we who should be in awe of her. Georgia's passion for teaching, love of her family and making the world around her a better place (even after death) is what defined her. Maybe it was the lessons learned growing up on a farm or perhaps not, but we have been the true benefactors. We have been left with so many lessons on what it feels like to be loved, dedication to one's family and perseverance in life and living.

We are heart broken by her death but cherished what she left behind in life.

In lieu of flowers please direct all gifts to Ecumen Hospice at ecumen.org/give/. Ecumen Hospice gave Georgia the dignity and support that she deserved at the end of her life and our family will be forever grateful.

There will be no services at this time due to the serious nature of the Covid-19 pandemic. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Georgia was preceded in death by parents Geraldine Bergstrom, Norbert Bergstrom and Brother, Norbert Bergstrom Jr.  She is survived by her husband John Plumadore; Son, Charles Plumadore; Daughter Brianne Plumadore; Grandson Harrison Plumadore and Daughter-In-Law, Genevieve Plumadore.

Published on August 2, 2020