Bethany Scholarship Recipients Named

Alexis Kelley has been named the recipient of the Lorraine Krenelka Endowed Nursing Scholarship at Bethany Retirement Living.  She will receive $1,000 to apply toward her nursing education costs for the 2026-27 academic year.

Kelley is a graduate of Sheyenne High School and is enrolled in the LPN program at Minnesota State Community & Technical College in Moorhead and hopes to go on to the RN program next.  She has been a CNA and Med Aide II at Bethany Retirement Living since April of 2022.

Lorraine Krenelka graduated from the St. Luke’s School of Nursing in Fargo before embarking on a nursing career that culminated in her service as a surgical nurse at St. John’s Hospital in Fargo.  Following retirement, Lorraine was a hospice nurse for ten years.  Her family established the Lorraine Krenelka Nursing Scholarship in 2007 to provide nursing education opportunities for employees at Bethany Retirement Living.

In the interest of providing nursing education opportunities for the employees of Bethany Retirement Living, the Lorraine Krenelka Endowed Nursing Scholarship Fund is made available through the generosity of Lorraine’s family.  The scholarship is available to qualified Bethany Retirement Living employees who desire to expand and improve their skills in geriatric care.

Lilian Sama and Jason Nyankoon have been named recipients of the Kim Marchell Endowed Nursing Scholarship at Bethany Retirement Living.  Each will receive $500 to apply toward nursing education costs for the 2026-27 academic year.

Sama is originally from Cameroon and arrived in the USA in 2021. Sama holds an associate degree in management and a degree in practical nursing (LPN). She is now pursuing her RN at Minnesota State Community & Technical College.

Nyankoon is originally from Liberia and began working for Bethany Retirement Living in June of 2025. He has worked as both a CNA and Med Aide II. He is now pursuing his LPN at Minnesota State Community & Technical College.

Kim Marchell served as Quality Improvement Coordinator at Bethany Retirement Living for more than eleven years, beginning in 1993.  Under her guidance, Bethany’s emphasis on quality care was focused and directed to help staff and the facility reach unprecedented levels of achievement.  Kim passed away in August 2004.  Through the scholarship in her name, Bethany Retirement Living provides financial support to qualified Bethany employees who are continuing their education in a nursing-related educational program.  The Kim Marchell Endowed Scholarship Fund is made available through the generosity of Kim’s family and other donors to Bethany Retirement Living.

Olivia Behnke has been named recipient of the Catherine Larson Endowed Nursing Scholarship at Bethany Retirement Living.  She will receive $500 to apply toward her nursing education for the 2026-27 academic year.

Behnke is a graduate of Hastings High School.  Behnke is a CNA at Bethany Retirement Living. She is currently enrolled in the BSN program at NDSU, and her long-term goal is to become a CRNA.

Catherine Larson spent her life working with her husband on the family farm.  She was a mother, crafter, and nurse.  A resident of Bethany Retirement Living, Catherine passed away in October 2018.

A native of Dwight, ND, Catherine Larson graduated from Wahpeton High School.  She graduated from St. Luke’s School of Nursing in Fargo and began her career as a Registered Nurse at St. Francis Hospital in Breckenridge, MN.  She worked primarily in medical-surgical nursing.

Catherine became a resident of Bethany Retirement Living in the summer of 2014.  While living in both assisted living and skilled nursing at Bethany on 42^nd, she was always encouraging her caregivers to continue their education.

In the interest of providing nursing education opportunities for the employees of Bethany Retirement Living, the Catherine Larson Endowed Nursing Scholarship is made available through the generosity of Catherine’s family.  The Bethany Foundation will invest the funds in a diverse investment portfolio and will distribute only the earnings on the investment to support continuing education of employees of Bethany Retirement Living.