Berg, Steven Arnold 1960-2007
BERG, FOSS, ALLENSWORTH, EARL, IVERSON, BOEKER, TINDALL, SANDERSON, GUNDERSON
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 8/13/2012 at 15:44:50
Steven Arnold Berg died of cancer caused illness, at Aase Haugen Homes on Sunday night, June 10, 2007, at age 47.
Steven was born in rural Decorah on February 27, 1960 to Arnold Berg and Naomi Foss Berg. From his earliest childhood memories, all Steven wanted to do was work. At age 9, Steven looked forward to snowy winters so he could earn money shoveling snow from sidewalks and around cars. When the circus came to Decorah, Steven knew that was his chance to travel and work. So, he left town and traveled with the circus. Of course, Steven’s parents found him and dragged him back to Decorah.
As an adult, Steven worked for the Soo Line Railroad in Mason City. Railroad construction led Steven to Illinois, Iowa, California, Texas, the Dakotas and Colorado -- traveling around the country building and repairing railroad lines. Railroading brought Steven to southern Illinois where he finally settled in Alton, and met his wife – Karen Allensworth. They married in 1991, and have three children – Cassie Marie, and twins James Daniel and Mandy Sue. After two decades of hard railroad construction experiences, Steven became a “self-employed jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none” in the Alton area. He was a gentle soul with strawberry blonde curls who loved playing pool. Steven loved his wife, his children, his family and his buddies. He prized his coin collection of old ‘Morgans, Libertys and Eisenhowers’ - a trader’s hobby fostered by his father when Steven was young and maintained by him throughout his life. Steven’s children will continue managing his coin collection.
Steven’s mom, Naomi Foss Berg, died a few years before him. His dad, Arnold Berg, still lives in Decorah. Steven leaves his step-mother, Beverly Berg of Davenport, and his grandmother, Glora Kjarland Foss Earl of Austin. Steven was gifted with 9 sisters – Jo Iverson of Decorah, Cathy Boeker of Seattle, Sherry Berg of rural Lanesboro, Cindy Berg of La Jolla, Tammy Berg of Decorah, Val Tindall of Decorah, Pam Sanderson of Decorah, Bobby Gunderson of Ossian, and Barb Berg of Davenport. All of Steven’s sisters watched over him during his last months of battling cancer.
Steven recently declared: “I first died – or thought I was dying – on Saturday, Christmas Day of December 25, 2004 at the Horizon Treatment Center in Waterloo, after what seemed like a lifelong battle with alcohol. Ultimately, I will die a victim of alcohol and poverty – with each undermining my ability to fight the other.” Add hard work as a cause of Steven’s shortened life. His zeal for hard work certainly contributed to his death.
Steven is being cremated. Steven is loved by family and friends in Decorah and Alton. His family and friends will remember Steven with a celebration on July 14th at Steven’s favorite quiet spot near Alton along the Mississippi River. Steven’s ashes will be buried next to those of his mother at Canoe Ridge Cemetery.
Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database
Canoe Ridge Lutheran cemetery
Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Jeff Getchell.
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