Berger, William J. 1921-1988

BERGER, PAVLIK, WOODALL

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 6/4/2009 at 20:11:29

WILLIAM J. BERGER

William Jacob Berger, 67, cooperative leader in Northwestern Iowa, died Tuesday (Oct. 18, 1988) in the Veterans Administration Hospital at Sioux Falls, S.D., after a five-year illness.

Memorial services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Grace United Methodist church at Marcus with Rev. Ron Kramer officiating. A private burial service will be Friday in Marcus-Amherst Cemetery. Nelson-Earnest Funeral Home of Marcus is in charge of arrangements. There will be no visitation at the funeral home.

Mr. Berger was born March 16, 1921, in Liberty Township, Plymouth County, the son of Will and Elsie (Pavlik) Berger. He lived on the family homestead until 1939 when he moved to South Knoll Farm, rural Marcus. He married Jeannine Woodall Feb. 2, 1962, at Marcus. The couple were extensive cattle feeders and strong supporters of 4-H cattle shows. Mr. Berger was organizer of Cherokee County Beef Producers (later Cattleman’s Association) and maintained membership in the Iowa Cattleman’s Association.

He was president of the Cherokee County Rural Electric Co-operative, serving his 27th year as director. He served on the board of directors at (NIPCO) Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative, 1985-1988. He was honored as a member of the 25-Year Club of the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives.

Mr. Berger served 18 years on the board of directors of the Farmers Cooperative Elevator at Marcus, serving several terms as president. In 20 years, he never missed a meeting of Farmer Grain Dealer’s Association/Agri Industries, Des Moines.

Mr. Berger was a member of several farm organizations and was a longtime Tilden Township trustee. He was a charter member of the Cherokee County Historical Society, Cherokee Area Archives Inc., and Sanford Museum Association. He was a Methodist.

A veteran of World War II, he served with the 13th Air Force in the Southwest Pacific and was hospitalized in burn units in the Philippines and Denver. He was a 41-year member of F. I. Goodburn Post 517, American Legion of Marcus and a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans.

Survivors are his wife, three sons, Wade Will of Marcus, Gentry Jacob, a sophomore at the University of South Dakota, and Colt Berger, a freshman at Iowa Lakes Community College, Emmetsburg; a brother, Dean Berger of Marcus; a sister, Mrs. Weber (Joan) Koester of Paullina.

He was preceded in death by his father in 1973 and his mother in 1981.

~Source: The Hinton newspaper, dated October 1988