Patricia Bergemann

Patricia Ann Bergemann went to her eternal home in heaven on Saturday, June 5, 2004, at Northwest Iowa Health Center, Sheldon, IA.

Funeral service 2:00 p.m. Thursday, June 10, 2004 at St. John Lutheran Church in Good Thunder, Rev. Rudolph H. Maurer Jr. officiating. Burial in St. John Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation 4-7 p.m. Wednesday at Mankato Mortuary and continues one hour before services at church on Thursday. Memorials may be given to St. John Lutheran School, Good Thunder.

Patricia was born January 23, 1938 in Cherokee, IA to Delbert Shorty and Myrtle (Harnack) Drefke and baptized in the Lutheran Church there. She continued her Christian education and was confirmed at Peace Lutheran Church in 1951.

After graduating from Cleghorn High School in Cleghorn, IA she attended Concordia Teachers College in Seward, NE, leaving in 1958 was a special teachers license to answer an emergency need for teachers in the schools of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. She continued her college education throughout her teaching career " graduating from Mankato State University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science in Education.
Her 29 years of teaching experience included St. John Lutheran in Germantown, IA and St. John Lutheran in Good Thunder, MN. She officially retired from teaching in 1999.

It was in Good Thunder that she met her husband, Elmer. They were married on June 10, 1962 at Peace Lutheran Church in Marcus, IA. They lived on a farm outside Good Thunder until 1969 when they moved to Mapleton. In 1974 they moved back to Good Thunder.

They were blessed with 5 children throughout their marriage. Pat was a loving mother, wife, and teacher. She was devoted to her family, her church, and her students. She was a member of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod all of her life.

She enjoyed flower gardening, collecting Beanie Babies, Precious Moments, and spoiling her grandchildren. She enjoyed membership in various clubs; including the Maple River Study Club, Ladies Aid, the Tri-T Club, and St. Pauls Friendly Circle. She was also the congregational representative for Thrivent at St. Pauls in Hartley, IA.

After her retirement in 1999, she moved to Arizona for a year. In 2000 she moved back to Hartley, IA and continued her teaching activities by volunteering and substitute teaching at the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School until her death. She also worked part-time at the Dynos convenience store in Hartley. She was living in Hartley at the time of her unexpected passing.

She is survived by two sons, Dan Bergemann of Stordon, MN, Jon Bergemann and his special friend, Susan Schoper of Jeffers, MN; three daughters and their husbands, Amy and Matt Weseloh of The Colony, TX, Becky and Chris Elia of Goodyear, AZ, Judi and Steve Albert of Hartley, IA; ten grandchildren; Ross, Joseph, and Isaac Weseloh, Christopher, Gabby, and Tony Elia, Alexa, Wyatt, Maggie, and Jackson Albert; father, Delbert Shorty Drefke of Marcus, IA; brother and his wife, Don and Jan Drefke and their daughter, Abby of Marcus, IA; brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Myrtle in 1985 and her husband, Elmer in 1989.