- Date Of Birth: May 24, 1925
- Date Of Death: June 19, 2021
- State: Iowa
Ronald T. Berg, known to everyone as Ron, passed away the morning of June 19, 2021, at the Madrid Home surrounded by family; he was 96 years old.
As the second son, Ron was born May 24, 1925, to Rollo and Myrtle (Huser) Berg near the west side of the Mile Long Bridge (an area known as Dog Patch). They soon moved to Madrid. School, Boy Scouts, and the time with friends filled most of his days. During the Great Depression at the age of 9, Ron lost his father, and his mother was forced to make some tough decisions. His brother George, five years his senior, soon went to stay with an uncle near Granger, Iowa. Although times were tough, Ron still managed to have a good childhood. Soon after graduation from Madrid High school in 1943, Ron was drafted into the U.S. Army as WWII was accelerating. He was stationed at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas for basic training. Ron was assigned to the 16th Armored Division, 26th Tank Battalion. In January of 1945, they arrived in France and followed Patton across Europe. The 16th Armored Division was responsible for the liberation of Pilzen, Czechoslovakia, one of the few Nazi strongholds still left near the end of WWII.
After the war, Ron came back to Madrid and worked as a carpenter for a few years and rode motorcycles before deciding to become a farmer, which would become his true calling. He fell in love with Joanne Guigli, the young girl who fell in love with him years earlier and always said she was going to marry him someday. She was the daughter of Mary Guigli, a close friend of Ron’s mother (Myrtle). Ron and Joanne were married on November 23, 1952. They moved around for a short time until they settled on the farm in 1959 that they would call their own in 1965. To this union, they had three children, Rollo (Rollie) 1956, Ronald (Ronnie) 1958, and Roanna (Ro) 1960.
Throughout the years Ron loved to travel in his camper with his family, he was an avid hunter and fisherman with many trips out west hunting deer with his brother and friends as well as many fishing trips to Minnesota and Canada. He retired from farming in 1990. He and Joanne traveled all over the U.S. in their motorhome.
In 1993, Joanne became sick, and the long illness took her life in 2002. Ron found himself alone once more. To help with his grief he took up woodworking and turned out some remarkable models and furniture. He continued to live on his farm which he loved so much. He was always busy keeping up the farm and loved to mow the grass. He was well known for his smoked turkeys, maple syrup, and devotion to family and friends. Throughout his life many adversities were to confront him; he was never one to quit.
Ron is survived by his three children, Rollie (Karen) Berg, Ronnie (Mary) Berg, and Roanna (Dan) Burkhart, fifteen grandchildren, and twenty-nine great-grandchildren.
Ron was preceded in death by his wife Joanne, father Rollo, mother Myrtle, step-father Roy Alsin, and brother George.
