Morris Bergan

Morris Bergan, age 92, of Ridgeway, IA, died Thursday, September 2, 2010, at the Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah, Iowa. Funeral Services will be 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010, at Peace Lutheran Church in Ridgeway, IA, with Rev. Philip and Ginny Olson presiding. Burial will be in the Iowa Veterans Cemetery near Van Meter, Iowa. Friends may call on Monday from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the Balik Funeral Home in Spillville, IA, and after 10:00 a.m., at the church on Tuesday. Morris Herman Bergan was born January 5, 1918, to Elmer and Marie (Knutson) Bergan on the family farm in Ridgeway. He attended country school through the 8th grade and graduated from Ridgeway High School in 1936. After graduation, Morris farmed with his father until he entered the military. On September 23, 1942, forty men left Decorah by bus for Camp Dodge. One hundred train cars of soldiers headed west to Oakland, CA. Three thousand soldiers then boarded “the Jane Adams” ship and went to Diamond Head, Honolulu, HI. Morris was part of the 34th Infantry Regiment, Canon Company, 24th Infantry Division. He was stationed in Hawaii and Australia for ten months each. He had shorter stays New Guinea, Biak, Levite, Luzon, Bataan, Corregidor, Mindoro, and Mindanao. During his ten day stay on the island of Corregidor, the flies were so bad it was hard to eat or drink. On August 15, 1945, Morris received word that he would be able to go home. It took 17 days to get to San Francisco. There were so many ships that they were sent to Tacoma, WA. On November 1, Morris finally saw the U.S. mountains. On November 4, he took a train to Fort Leavenworth, KS. On November 12, 1945, he received his discharge papers and took a train to Oelwein and then a bus to Decorah. Upon returning home, he resumed farming with his father near Ridgeway. Morris took pride in his farming and in his retirement he enjoyed fishing, a special connection with his community and watching the local baseball games. Morris was a storyteller in his own right. He was an avid reader of The Pacific Campaign, which he shared with those who came to visit. Morris successfully realized two of his goals. One was to participate in the honor flight and to ride in an airplane for the first time in his life. He was a lifelong member of the Peace Lutheran Church in Ridgeway and a member of the VFW Post 1977 in Decorah and the Spillville American Legion Post #467. Morris is survived by two nephews: Kermit Bergan of Decorah and Arnold and Mary Bergan of Osage; great nieces and nephews: Jeff (Sharyn) Bergan, Jay (Charlotte) Bergan, Jodie (Terry) Weeks; great-great nieces and nephews: Sam, Emily, Nick, Taylor Bergan, Isabell Weeks, and Jessica Bergan; along with cousins and friends. Morris is preceded in death by his parents, his stepmother: Nora (Vick) Bergan; brother: Lawrence and Elnora Bergan; and nephew : Richard Bergan.