Fern Bielenberg

Alta Fern Claney Bielenberg, of Moscow, died Tuesday at the age of 95. She was born September 11, 1927, in Brunswick, Nebraska, to Floyd and Effie Buckmaster Claney. She was welcomed by her only sister, Leona. A brother, DeLaine, died of pneumonia prior to Fern’s birth, a fate she herself narrowly escaped twice as a child.

In 1934 Fern’s family fled the Nebraska dustbowl, arriving in Idaho with little more than their clothing and her mother’s treadle sewing machine. They settled in the Boise Valley and Fern graduated from Caldwell High School in 1944. She babysat and cleaned houses throughout her teens to buy fabric to sew much of her own clothing on that old treadle machine. She once reminisced that sewing was one of the activities she missed most after glaucoma stole her vision. 

The only member of her family to attend college, Fern arrived at the University of Idaho on the Student Special train in January 1945. She settled into Hays Hall where she worked in the dining room for her mentor, dietitian Bernice Morin, in exchange for meals. Fern graduated from the UI in 1949 after serving a dietetics internship at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. She worked at the Boise VA Hospital and then became head dietician at the former UI residence halls of Hays, Forney, Willis Sweet, and Gault-Upham.  

Fern met her husband, Len, when he worked for her as a dishboy in the residence hall. They were married in 1953 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Boise, and lived in Boise briefly before returning to Moscow where they made their home for 68 years. 

In 1960 Fern traded the working world for motherhood, and within five years had four little ones underfoot. She supported her children through many extracurricular activities such as Cub Scout den mother, Camp Fire leader, piano practice monitor, sports chauffeur, homework helper, and many more. She was a long-time member of the Moscow Home Economists Association and St. Gertrude’s Guild of the St. Mary’s Catholic Women’s League. Somehow she had time to tend a huge vegetable garden, always had a Tupperware full of homemade cookies on hand, and she put a tasty, nutritious meal on the table every night at 6pm.

Fern loved to travel, and often said, “I’m ready whenever a vehicle is leaving!”. She especially liked being Len’s passenger as they explored the back roads of Idaho via motorcycle, where she excelled at spotting huckleberries from her backseat perch. In younger years, her favorite activities included picking huckleberries, camping, water skiing and snow skiing. She and Len enjoyed numerous cruises and international trips, and ventured cross-country in their motorhome as far east as Prince Edward Island, Canada, and south to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. They wintered in Green Valley, Arizona, for 25 years where Fern was active with the hiking, knitting, craft and bingo groups until various infirmities including declining vision and impaired hearing curtailed her participation. 

Fern’s devoted husband of 69 years survives at their Moscow home. She is also survived by son Terry Bielenberg, daughters Anne (Kevin) Peterson and Mary Bielenberg, all of Moscow, and son Paul Bielenberg of Pullman, Washington. She leaves behind her beloved grandchildren, Amy (Zach) Lichte, of Moscow, and Kyle Peterson, of Boise, plus two great-grandchildren, Kaelyn and Parker Lichte, of Moscow. She is also survived by several cousins and a nephew.

The Holy Rosary will be recited at 10am on Saturday, December 3 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Moscow. A funeral mass celebrated by Father Joe McDonald will begin at 10:30am, followed by interment at the Moscow Cemetery. Family and friends are invited to a reception and luncheon at St. Mary’s Family Center immediately after the burial. 

Arrangements have been entrusted to Short’s Funeral Chapel, Moscow, where visitation will take place Friday December 2, 2022 from 1-6pm. Online condolences may be sent to www.shortsfuneralchapel.net. Fern held a special place in her heart for those who aren’t able to speak for themselves, so the family suggests memorials be made to any charity of your choice that advocates for the disenfranchised.

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