Elsie Bergen (nee Dyck)

1930 – 2005

Elsie was born in 1930 to Jacob Dyck and Katherine Reimer in the R.M. of Thompson.  She grew up with her grandparents in Morden when her mother died a few years later.  She started school at Maple Leaf until she was ten years old when her dad married Gertrude Neufeld.  She went to Kleefeld School while they lived on the farm.  She grew up there and was baptized into the Sommerfelder Church on confession of her faith.  On December 15^th of 1960, she married Abe Bergen of the Winkler area.  They had five children; one boy and four girls.  They moved around some until they settled in Altona in 1971.  In 1998, she was diagnosed with cancer.  She received treatment and later was free.  After three years, it again showed up.  This time, however, they tried it with pills.  After two years, the pills were no longer doing the job.  In May of last year, it was again found, but treatment wasn’t started until September.  By that time, she was getting very weak.  The chemo wasn’t helping her condition any.  Each treatment made her all the weaker.  After six treatments, the doctor said no more.  Then they were going to try pills again.  After two sessions, the doctor said no more.  The cancer was just feeding on everything they tried.  From September to the time that she died, she had been home for three weeks and two days.  The last two days, we could see when she was in pain because then she could not lie still.  After she got the needle she would quiet down.  On March 28, 2005 Monday morning around 7:30 a.m., she quietly passed away.  She reached the age of 74 years, 4 months and 17 days.

She was predeceased by her parents and one daughter, Lynne Suderman eight years ago.

She leaves to mourn her husband, Abe Bergen of Altona; 3 daughters, Lori and Kelly Michaluk of Winnipeg, Janet and Garry Guenter of Gretna, Cornie and Rob Wiebe of Morden; one son, Ray and Tina Bergen of Winkler; one son-in-law, John Suderman; 12 grandchildren; 1 great grandchild.  She was always so proud of her grandchildren.  She also leaves behind two sisters, Helen Dyck of Salem Home, Millie and Robert McLuckie of McCreary.

Funeral service was held on Thursday, March 31, 2005 at 2:00 pm at the Winkler Reinland Church with Bishop William Friesen officiating.  Interment followed at the Plum Coulee Cemetery.

If friends or family so desire, donations may be made to CancerCare Manitoba.

We, the family would like to express our heartfelt thank you to Dr. Woelk, the chemo nurses and all the hard working staff at Boundary Trails Health Centre.  To all the friends and families that took the time to visit her at the hospital, a very heartfelt thank you.  Also Wiebe Funeral Home for all their advice and considerations.

Wiebe Funeral Home, Winkler in care of arrangements.