Frank Joseph Berger

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Frank Berger Mass of Christian Burial

Frank Joseph Berger, age 93 of New Hope passed away on July 5, 2023. He was born November 8, 1929 in Kalispell Montana. After World War 2 the family moved back to Frazee, Minnesota where he attended high school. While in high school, he met Darlene Rethwisch as they were both in the marching band. Upon graduation, Frank joined the Navy and convinced his twin brother Andy to do so as well. He assured Andy that the Navy would teach him how to be an airline mechanic, needless to say that never happened. The Navy did however, at their request allow them to serve together as Machinists Mates on the same ship the USS Gurke.

After getting out of the Navy, Frank returned to Frazee where he reconnected with Darlene. She was headed to Nurses Training at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. During that time, he moved to Red Wing and worked for Red Wing Pottery. While there, a friend encouraged him to go to back to school. He got the GI Bill to pay for his training and spent 2 years at Dunwoody Institute learning Refrigeration.

Frank and Darlene married on June 24, 1954 and moved into a basement apartment in Minneapolis. A short while later they found their forever home in Crystal, Minnesota. This is where they raised 5 sons, Ken, Tom, Ed, Don and Dave. It was a loving home, with Darlene being a stay-at-home mom. To help make ends meet, Frank took on 2 additional jobs, refrigeration repair and shoe repair. At one time or other, all of the boys assisted dad on his service calls. It was during this time that he also taught the boys the art of auto repairs. With all of them holding the treble light in all the wrong places and him asking them “if they could see because he couldn’t” and redirecting the light to where he wanted it.

The shoe shop was another learning session, as the boys would help with the repairs. From cutting the stitches that held the soles together, to gluing the various pieces of leather which dad would then pound together on the shoe lass and then sew the leather edges together on the stitcher, and finally giving them a good polish before returning them to the customer.

Upon Frank’s retirement from Honeywell, he and Darlene liked to travel. Some of their travels took them to Alaska and Hawaii. Unfortunately, their time together was cut short when she passed away in August of 1994 due to cancer.

While doing refrigeration repairs and square dancing, Frank met Shirley Lindgren. They were married in August of 1995. They both loved to dance, travel and spend time with family.  Sadly, Shirley passed away in May of 2016 after 20 years of marriage.

Frank loved the outdoors spending many hours hunting and fishing with family and friends. He also was on the State Championship Archery team for Honeywell for several years. He liked to go bowling, his grandkids always preferring to bowl with him rather than mom or dad during the parent/child sessions. He was an avid reader from auto repair manuals, learning how to build a garage, westerns, war novels, to teaching himself how to play chess.  Music played a big role in his life, playing the guitar, trumpet, harmonica and of course singing when he joined the Norwegian Glee Club as a Tenor.

However, I think he will always be remembered for his fix it stories; complete with hand motions and sound effects.

He is survived by sons, Kenneth (Sandra) Berger, Thomas (Nancy) Berger, Edward (Sherry) Berger, Donald (Janis) Berger and David (Melissa) Berger; daughter Vicky (Jerry) Bostrom; daughter-in-law Maureen McLaughlin; sister-in-law Carol Berger; 22 grandchildren and many great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Preceded in death by twin brother Anthony “Andy”, sister Theresa (Jack) Urban, daughter Diane (Richard) Moore, and son Glen Lindgren.

Mass of Christian Burial 10:30 AM Saturday July 15th, with visitation one hour prior, at Parish Community of St. Joseph, 8701 36th Ave N. New Hope. Interment at Gethsemane Cemetery, New Hope.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Parish Community of St. Joseph, or donor’s chosen charity.