BERGAN, Vivian (Hamre) 1917-1999

GUNVAL, HAMRE, BERGAN, ANDERSON, JOSENDAHL

Posted By: IA GenWeb Volunteer
Date: 9/21/2010 at 17:50:46

Decorah Public Opinion, Tuesday, May 4, 1999

Vivian Bergan

Vivian Bergan, 81, of Decorah, died Sunday, May 2, 1999, at the Winneshiek County Memorial Hospital of a sudden illness.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, May 6, at 11 a.m., at Decorah Lutheran Church, with the Rev. Tim Tostengard officiating.

Diane Kvamme will be the organist. Soloist Wayne Mitchell will sing "The Lord's Prayer." The congregation will sing "Amazing Grace" and "How Great Thou Art."

Honorary pall bearers will be Gertrude Hove, Hazel Hendrickson, Marjorie Barth, Marjorie Hove, Joy Sabin, Peter Anderson, Bjorn Anderson and Benjamin Anderson.

Burial will be at the Lincoln Cemetery, rural Ridgeway. The Fjelstul Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

There is no visitation. The body was cremated.

Vivian (Hamre) Bergan was born Dec. 18, 1917, on her family farm near Ridgeway, the daughter of Clarence R. and Ida 0. (Gunval) Hamre.

She was baptized Feb. 3, 1918, at Lincoln Lutheran Church in Ridgeway and confirmed June 14, 1931, at First Lutheran Church in Decorah.

She attended Decorah High School and graduated from Albert Lea (Minn.) High School in 1935. Vivian graduated from Luther College in 1939 and did graduate work in library science at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minn.

She was united in marriage with Kenneth N. Bergan Dec. 28, 1938, at the Lincoln Lutheran Church, Ridgeway.

After their marriage, Vivian was a teacher at Garnavillo High School, where her husband also taught. Then she was a homemaker. They lived in Iowa, Illinois, Boston,, Mass., and Minnesota.

After retirement, they moved to Decorah in 1988.

Vivian was an avid reader, a beloved letter writer to many people, liked crossword puzzles and enjoyed music. During college, she was a soloist and sang on the radio. Vivian also was a member of Decorah Lutheran Church and its circles.

Survivors include her husband, Kenneth; one son, Paul Bergan and Lois Eberhart of Minneapolis, Minn.; one daughter, Ruth and Jack Anderson of St. Louis Park, Minn.; four grandchildren, Peter Anderson, Bjom Anderson, Benjamin Anderson and Joy (Wayne) Sabin, all of the Twin Cities area; one great-grandson, Teddy Sabin.

Other survivors include two brothers-in-law, Herman Josendahl of Luveme, Minn., and R. Allard and Ferne Bergan of Tulsa, Okla.; one sister-in-law, Sally Bergan of Holt, Mich.; one niece, Ann (Jim) Peterson of Sioux Falls, S.D.; one nephew, Clifton Bergan of Denver, Colo.; and two grand-nephews, Abel and North Bergan of Denver, Colo.

Vivian (Hamre) Bergan was preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Ruth Josendahl.

Transcribed by an IA GenWeb Volunteer from obituaries found in the Howard-Winneshiek Genealogy Society Library, Cresco, Iowa.