Coleman A. Berge

Coleman Arlen Berge was born on April 27, 1928 in Minneapolis, MN to Clarence and Alma (Nelson) Berge. He grew up in Minneapolis and graduated from South High School in 1946.  He entered the Army and served in Germany during the Korean War receiving his honorable discharge in 1952.  While marching with the Civil Air Patrol at the Hopkins Raspberry Parade in 1950 he met the love of his life, Joyce Sylvia Olson and they were married at First Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park, MN on May 8, 1954.  In 1955 they moved into a brand new house in St. Louis Park where he resided the rest of his life.  Shortly after the move, they welcomed their first daughter Carolee Joyce.  Joni Kay joined the family in 1958 followed by Michael Arlen in 1960.  Cole started his career as a machinist working at General Mills then he spent more than 30 years with Electrocraft retiring as an Engineering Research Associate in 1993.  While his children were growing up, he volunteered on the church finance committee even serving as treasurer, spent time coaching baseball, leading the Y Indian Guides and bowling in a league.  Cole was a true do-it-yourselfer as he kept busy with home repairs, house additions and maintenance on his various cars.  If he couldn’t fix it, it wasn’t worth fixing.  Once the kids were grown up, he spent his spare time collecting stamps and coins.

Coleman had an interest in trains and loved identifying the airplanes as they flew over his deck in the back yard.  His lifelong love of Minnesota Gopher football kept him attending season games in Memorial Stadium, the HHH Metrodome and TCF Bank Stadium.  Coleman, Joyce and family spent time traveling from camping trips to the Black Hills, California and Boston to airplane travel to Scandinavia, Europe, Australia, Orlando and Hawaii where he and Joyce spent the month of February for many years as a break from the Minnesota cold.  Becoming a grandfather was a perfect fit for Cole.  He had a special way of joking with each grandchild as Maren, Matthew, Jessica and Jillian can attest.  His happiest times were those when he was surrounded by the whole family - his wife, children and grandchildren.  Family was a source of great contentment in his later years.  Cole was well loved.

Coleman passed away on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 in St. Louis Park, MN.  He is survived by his loving wife of almost 65 years, Joyce; daughters, Carolee (Mark) Cohen and Joni Berge; son, Michael (Suzanne) Berge; grandchildren, Maren (Evan) Malenius, Matthew (Kelsey True) Berge, and Jessica (Tony Jelen) Berge.  He was preceded in death by granddaughter, Jillian Berge; parents, Clarence and Alma Berge; sister, Phyllis Gunderson and an infant niece.