Naomi (Flugstad) Bekkum, age 95, of Madison, Wis., passed away on Feb. 5, 2018, at Attic Angels Health Center under Agrace HospiceCare. She was born on Sept. 2, 1922, in Westby, Wis., to Albert and Otilla (Peterson) Flugstad.

She graduated from Westby High School in 1940, and from Luther College in 1944, where she majored in public school music and English. She taught school in Milaca, Minn.; Prairie Du Sac, Wis.; Richland Center, Wis.; and Vernon County Teachers College in Viroqua, Wis. She taught vocal music and art at Glendale, Sherman and Sandberg schools in Madison, Wis. She retired in 1984.

For many years she taught the Norwegian language and culture at Bethel Lutheran Church. One of her passions was traveling to Norway to uncover her families’ genealogy, at which she excelled. Naomi also served others, with great joy and humor, through the Bethel Alter Guild, the circle “Beth Keyes” and the XYZ (Extra Years of Zest) group.

She is survived by her devoted husband Owen Bekkum; her nieces Gloria Jacobson, Mary Schumann and Sylvia Zigler; and nephews Rolf Flugstad, Dean Flugstad and Robert Flugstad. She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers (Hubert, Burton Flugstad ’30, and Kermit), one sister (Alva), three nephews (Leif Flugstad, Trygve Flugstad and Bryon Foss) and one niece, Swanhild (Flugstad) Dobaj.

Memorials may be given to Bethel Lutheran Church and to Agrace HospiceCare.

A visitation and funeral service were held at Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison on Feb. 9, 2018. Burial was in Westby Coon Prairie Cemetery.