RONALD BERGE

RONALD J. BERGE Ronald J. Berge, 56, Cooperstown, ND died Monday, April 20, 2015 at his farm home under the care of Hospice after a 2 ½ year battle against sarcoma cancer. Ron was born January 30, 1959 with his twin sister Rhonda in Moorhead, MN the son of Ronald A. and Ruth (Benson) Berge. He grew up in Wisconsin and Minnesota before moving with his family to the Dazey area. He attended school in Hannaford and graduated from Hannaford High School in 1977. Ron attended NDSU, worked as a concrete finisher in Washington State, then returned to the Cooperstown/Hannaford area where he began farming and ranching. Throughout his adult life, he worked at Norwood Sales in Cooperstown, General Grain in Karnak, and Quick Farms at Dazey. Ron was active in sports, 4-H, served as Sverdrup Township officer, and served on the Griggs-Steele Empowerment Zone Board and Grant Committee. Ron continued to farm and ranch throughout his illness, until the time of his death. He married Beth Quick of Dazey on December 30, 2005. The couple made their home on the Albert & Betsy Berge (grandparents) farm, south of Cooperstown in the Sheyenne River Valley. Ron was very close to all his family, especially to his Grandma Betsy, his cousins, and his nieces and nephews. He had a wonderful sense of humor, enjoyed visiting and reminiscing with family and friends, enjoyed the great outdoors fishing and hunting, and LOVED to GOLF! Ron had a knack for making friends and having fun wherever he went, including at work and throughout his cancer treatments. The “BIG RAT” (as he was referred to by friends) never gave up hope, and will be dearly missed by his family and friends. He is survived by his wife Beth, parents Ronald and Ruth Berge, Valley City, ND; three sisters Debra (Mark Erickson) Berge, West Fargo, ND, Kathy (Joe) Bialke, Mandan, ND, and Elizabeth Berge, Cooperstown, one brother Danny Berge, Cooperstown, and brother-in-law Bradley Gjesdal, Cooperstown, several nieces and nephews, numerous cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his twin sister Rhonda Gjesdal, grandparents Albert & Betsy Berge and Mabel & Harvey Benson. A Prayer Service will be held Thursday, April 23, 2015 at 7:00 pm with funeral services Friday, April 24 at 2:00 pm, both at Trinity Lutheran Church, Cooperstown, ND. Visitation will be at the Church on Thursday from 5:00-7:00 pm and one hour before the funeral service. Interment will be in the Westley Cemetery, rural Cooperstown, ND, following the Funeral Service. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be given to Altru Cancer Center of Grand Forks, ND; Cooperstown Medical Center Foundation; Saron Evangelical Free Lutheran Church of Cooperstown, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Cooperstown Country Club, or any charity of choice