JOHN BERGEN

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JOHN BERGEN

July 24, 1933 - February 26, 2024

At the ripe young age of 90, John Bergen returned home to the Lord on February 26, 2024 in Winkler, Manitoba.

John was born on July 24, 1933 to Susanna and Abram Bergen in Gnadenthal, Ukraine. He was the youngest boy of siblings Katie (Victor), Peter, Henry (Bettie), and Lena, and he took great pride in the role of “little” brother. The family arrived as refugees in Canada in October of 1947, and ultimately settled in Winnipeg – and although the details of their journey were never quite agreed on by the siblings, his childhood experiences became bedtime stories filled with hope for the next three generations.

It was common for many young Mennonites at the time to take up woodwork, but John always went against the grain and chose instead to work with metal. He became an accomplished tinsmith, a career he loved and excelled in. It was on his way to work that John took notice of the woman who would become his beloved wife. God placed John and Shirley on the same bus route. John always arrived early, and Shirley always arrived late – a habit that remained throughout their 63 years of marriage.

John and Shirley raised five children together – Carol, Marjorie (Martin), Donna (Andrew), Nancy (Steve), and Richard (Nancy). Travel was always a part of John’s life, both through work and family time. Work took him throughout northern and rural Manitoba. Family road trips included PEI, BC, the Badlands of Dakota, and involved their family of seven stuffed into a popup camper designed for six. The couple celebrated their 25th anniversary by taking part in a missions trip to Zaire. It was on this trip that John was introduced to Jerusalem Cherry jam – a recipe he devoted the rest of his life to trying to replicate with Canadian ingredients. In retirement, John and Shirley continued their adventures with cross-country road trips to visit their children and grandchildren scattered from coast to coast.

In 1963, John started his own company, Aircond Installations, and enacted the slogan he always lived by: “If it can be done, we can do it!” The company assisted in the construction of a new YMCA building, the Brandon University Brodie Building, and a new wing of the Brandon General Hospital, among others, with the family relocating to Brandon in 1970. The family joined the Brandon Mennonite Brethren Church, which eventually became Richmond Park Mennonite Brethren. A natural leader, whether he wanted to be or not, John became well-known in his faith community and was instrumental in the planning and building of the new building, which still stands on 26th Street in Brandon.

John was never one to accept anything blindly, and his faith was no different. He thought critically about every Bible passage he read and sought evidence for every lesson he learned, applying this way of thinking and questioning as he led Bible study groups. He soon became a Boy’s Brigade Leader, as well, and shared his experiences with the boys in the church, learning alongside them. John and Shirley spent their retirement in Winnipeg, where John acted as maintenance director for Portage Avenue Church, and transitioned to Buhler Active Living Center in Winkler in 2022.

In addition to his wife and children, John is survived by his 12 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and in-laws. He was known to always have a wise word to offer, often in the form of a rhyme, and to prefer sitting at the kids’ table. He started and ended everyday with a prayer to protect his family, listing everyone from east to west, then west to east, so no one was ever forgotten. John taught his children and grandchildren to be resilient and self-sufficient. He will be remembered by the lessons he lived by; don’t forget to bring a jacket and boots when you are driving on the highway, you can accomplish anything if you aren’t worried who gets the credit, there is a separate stomach for ice cream or popcorn, and always make turnips with Sunday roast.

A special thank you goes out to the staff at Samaritan Wellness and Silver Linings for the love, care, and friendship they offered John, and for every memory they have shared with his family, as well as to the staff at Boundary Trails Hospital.

A memorial service will be held at Maranatha Evangelical Free Church in Winnipeg on August 3, 2024. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to MCC Manitoba.

As published in Brandon Sun on May 18, 2024, May 18, 2024