Organist shares magical fingers year-round

The Christmas season is Betty Ingvaldson's favorite time of the year.
This year, 2021, marks the 66th consecutive year that Betty (Johnson) Ingvaldson has played the organ at First Lutheran Church in Blooming Prairie. "I love to play 'O Holy Night,' said Ingvaldson, smiling with that twinkle in her eye.
At age 85, Ingvaldson is still a devoted organist and pianist at First Lutheran.
When not playing Christmas music, Ingvaldson is playing at regular church services, at weddings and at funerals.
Ingvaldson first took piano lessons from her cousin, Julie. She loves to tell the story about Julie's mother saying she would never amount to anything in the musical world.
Of course, Ingvaldson proved her Aunt Martha wrong.
In addition to playing the organ for so long, Ingvaldson also taught piano lessons for 40 years. In her younger days, she wore a costume citing the song, "Kitten on the Keys."
"I was raised with music and I love music," said Ingvaldson. She said she came from a musical family. "We were always playing and singing around the piano," she says.
Ingvaldson said she still has her father's guitar and violin. "I loved to hear him play."
Ingvaldson was born on March 27, 1936, to Gena and Selmer Johnson. She was baptized in April of 1936 and was confirmed in 1950 at age 15. She graduated as a Blooming Prairie Blossom in 1954.
Her father, Selmer, was her transportation to and from Minneapolis during the time period of 1954-57 when she attended the McPhail School of Music. "He loved doing that for me," she said.
"I remember as a kid that my aunts and uncles sang in the church choir.
She married Paul Ingvaldson on Dec. 20, 1959. That's another reason why Christmas is her favorite time of the year. She played for church service that day and was married in the afternoon. Cousin Julie played the organ at her wedding.
Paul Ingvaldson served in the U.S. Army from 1954-57. He served in Japan. Betty Ingvaldson worked for Dr. Boch, a dentist during that time.
The couple raised two sons. Lance Ingvaldson lives in Blooming Prairie and Lee Ingvaldson currently resides in San Francisco.
"I like both the organ and piano," said Ingvaldson. She has played for other area churches including Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church where she played both the organ and a Baby Grand piano. She also played at Holy Trinity and at St. Columbanus.
"Music calms me," said Ingvaldson. She said her biggest supporter during her music career was her husband who passed away in 2016. "He was there (in church) all the time," Ingvaldson said. She played the organ at his funeral.
"I live one day at a time," said Ingvaldson, adding that COVID-19 has affected many families around the world. "I pray for these families," she said. As a kid, it was the polio scare, said Ingvaldson.
She grew up on a farm on Highway 218. Her nephew lives on the home farm now.