Berndt Nordhielm

Berndt ("Nord") Nordhielm October 3, 1922 - January 11, 2015

When he was two years old, Berndt Evald Nordhielm sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Sweden to the United States. You would not have noticed him in the great crowd of immigrants that arrived that year, but he had come to the country where invisible people might suddenly become visible. He and his family eventually made their way to Galesburg, Illinois, where he overcame taunts about his strange name, worked hard enough to skip fourth grade, and graduated from Galesburg High School.

One semester shy of a degree from Knox College, he enlisted in the navy, married the love of his life, and steamed across a second ocean to fight for the country that was, by then, very much his own. When the war ended, he completed his undergraduate work at the University of Illinois. Armed with an engineering degree, he set out to seek his fortune. His professional career from that point on was meteoric: from engineer at a textile company, to plant manager for Carling Brewery, to Vice President of Operations at Coca-Cola Enterprises.

One of his proudest moments came at age 92, when he was presented with a Quilt of Valor for his combat service in World War II. His body was so frail by that time, that when the quilt was laid on his shoulders, it nearly overwhelmed him. But the real part of him - his gentlemanly dignity, his dry humor, his large heart, and his instinctive discernment of the right and the wrong of things - were strong to the end.

He lost his wife of 70 years in May of 2014. Still living (and missing him sorely) are his younger brother, Bert Nordhielm of Washington, Illinois; his daughters, Connie Wooldridge of Indianapolis, Cathey Oldroyd of Blairsville, Georgia (who took wonderful care of him in his last years); Christie Nordhielm of Ann Arbor, Michigan; his son Carl Nordhielm of Tallahassee; seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Visitors are invited to call on the family from 5:00 to 7:00 on Monday, January 19 at the Cochran Funeral Home, 177 Rice Street, Hiawassee, Georgia 30546; services will be held at Sharp Memorial United Methodist Church, 1114 Main Street, Young Harris, Georgia 30582, on Tuesday, January 20 at 1:00 p.m.; a military interment will follow the service at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens. Selected to serve as pallbearers are: Carl Nordhielm (son), Bert Nordhielm (brother), Scott Wooldridge (grandson), Sean Wooldridge (grandson), Dean Nordhielm (grandson), Gus Nordhielm (grandson), Curt Nordhielm (nephew) and David Nordhielm (nephew).

Flowers (yellow and blue were his favorite!) may be sent to the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Pastor's Discretionary Fund at Sharp Memorial Methodist Church, P. O. Box 66, Young Harris, GA 30582 are also welcome.