Reuben Allard Bergan

Reuben Allard Bergan age, 98 of Decorah, IA died Saturday, September 18, 2010 at the Barthell, Eastern Star Nursing Home in Decorah, IA. A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m., Sunday, October 17, 2010, at the Schluter – Balik Funeral Home in Decorah, Iowa. In lieu of flowers memorials may be sent to Childrens Hospital at St. Francis 6161 S. Yale Ave. Tulsa, OK 74136 Reuben Allard (Al) Bergan was born, Dec. 11, 1911 to Martinus and Louise Nelson Bergan, on the family farm near Harmony Minnesota. He graduated from High school in Decorah Iowa in 1929, from Luther College, Decorah Iowa in 1934 and Texas Tech (engineering) in 1951. Al married Ferne White of Centerville Iowa on June 10, 1938. They enjoyed a long and interesting life in Calif., New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. Together, they were members of the Unitarian Church, English Speaking Union and the Planned Parenthood and the League of Women Voters. While a student at Luther, Al and his brother Ken worked in the new and exciting technology of radio at the L’Tatro factory in Decorah. After graduation he went on to teach in New Mexico from 1938 – 1940, all of the while he was studying engineering at Texas Tech. In 1941, Al began work at Douglas Aircraft in Calif., as an electrical designer until enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1944. He was assigned to the Amphibious Forces in the Pacific, retiring as a Lt. in 1946. He retired from Dresser Industries in Dec. 1976 after 25 years in research and engineering for the oil logging industry. He was awarded six U.S. patents for technical inventions while at Dresser and one for an invention relating to cores in the MOHOLE project for the National Science Foundation. In retirement in Tulsa Oklahoma, Ferne and Allard enjoyed activities with the Unitarian fellowship, the opera, the symphony and growing peach trees. Upon Fernes death in 1999, Al returned to Decorah. Al was preceded in death by his parents, his older brother Haldor, his wife of over 60 years, Ferne, his beloved nephew Paul, and his younger brother Kenneth. He is survived by niece Ruth Bergan Anderson and her husband Jack, nephew Clifton Bergan, five grand nephews, three great grand nieces and many new and old friends.