Bob Bergman

Bob Bergman

Bob Bergman, 72, Glenwood, Minn., formerly of Minneapolis, Big Pine Lake, Minn., and Medora, passed away on Feb. 25, 2008, from leukemia, at his home in Glenwood under the auspices of hospice. A memory celebration will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 1, at Glenwood United Parish Church. Urn burial will be held at Bergman Memorial Bench at the City Cemetery in the spring.

Robert Clayton Bergman was born at General Hospital in Minneapolis on May 23, 1935, to Parker Cyrus and Pearl (Hiltunen) Bergman. Bob was baptized in the Congregational Church in Glenwood.

Robert "Bob" Bergman and Sandra Tangen of Bertha, Minn., were married in St. Paul in 1962. Together, they raised five children, Jon Emanuel, Gretchen Ann, Kristine Amy, Barbara Lee and James Robert. In 1969, the family moved to Glenwood, Minn., and made their home on S. Lakeshore Drive. Bob worked in the local manufacturing field, when not pursuing his musical career. Robert also served his country from 1954 to 1956 in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany.

The family summers were spent as much as possible at their cabin on Big Pine Lake. You could find Bob fishing on the ice or water, waterskiing, golfing (for real or with Jack Nicklaus on the computer), tennis (in dress socks), backyard football, backyard skating (was a speed skater), standing on his hands, holding true to his Finnish and Swedish heritage by loving to travel and inventing aberrations to scare the kids. His pets were his special friends. He loved watching sports, movies and games with the whole family, explosive debates, laughing and, of course, performing (suffered from terrible stage fright until the curtain went up). He enjoyed a long morning wake-up with thick coffee, seasonally, either by the wood burner in the basement or on the deck feeling the suns morning rays.

Starting in 1981, the family summers were spent working in Medora, Bob in the Medora Musical and Sandy managing the Medora Campground. Bob's family, from way back, were all very musical people and he got all the best high baritone genes as well as acting and other artistic talents

As a native of Minneapolis, he studied voice and music theory at the University of Minnesota, MacPhail School of Music and was a graduate of Brown Institute of Broadcasting and Electronics.

He performed with the Florentine Opera of Milwaukee, Chicago Opera Theatre, St. Paul Civic Opera, Fargo-Moorhead Opera Company and as baritone soloist at St. Marks Cathedral in Minneapolis, as well as the guest soloist at other churches. Bob had 24 operatic roles in his repertoire.

He was Virgil Thomson in the World Premier of the Minnesota Opera production "The Mother of Us All" with composer in attendance and guest designer Robert Indiana. He was a featured artist in the Greenberg-Stokes original opera "Horsphal" premier performance.

With the St. Paul Civic Opera, he performed with Morley Meredith, Jean Fenn and Jon Crane of the Metropolitan Opera and Bert Parks, Jane Powell and Giesel McKinsy in productions such as "Tales of Hoffman," "Madama Butterfly," "Music Man," "South Pacific" and "King and I."

Bob's opera, concert, recital and oratorio work included William's "Dona Nobis Pacem," Brahms' "Requiem," Mendelssohn's "Elijah," Handel's "Messiah, "The Lowland Sea," as well as Broadway shows "Oklahoma," "Fiddler on the Roof" and "My Fair Lady."

In 22 years as a leading baritone and popular performer with the Fargo-Moorhead Opera, his credits included: "Hansel and Gretel," "Mikado," "Susannah," "Pagliacci," "Magic Flute," "Faust," "Don Giovanni," "La Boheme," "La Traviata," "Marriage of Figaro," "Masked Ball," "Rigoletto" and "The Ballade of Baby Doe."

After completing an engagement with the Chicago Opera Theatre as Don Pedro in "La Perichole," he appeared with the Florentine Opera of Milwaukee as Morales in "Carmen" and did the concert version of "Tosca" with Opera St. Paul.

He had been on a national tour of schools and colleges with lyceum programs as well as doing special guest appearances and club work with Associated Clubs. He appeared as baritone soloist in "Carmina Burana-Orf" with the Minnesota Dance Company and had successful engagements on the cruise ship Azure Seas, as well as touring with the Cornerstone Chorale from St. Louis.

Bob (The Old Timer and Badlands Bob) completed 13 seasons as MC and featured performer in one of the northwest's most exciting outdoor variety shows, "The Medora Musical," which runs the entire summer in the beautiful and rugged Badlands of Theodore Roosevelt fame. He did over 1,300 consecutive performances without missing a "Howdy." A tribute to Bob appeared in the 2005 40th Anniversary Book of the Medora Musical.

A very special recording concert was held at the Historic Auditorium in Central Square in Glenwood, Minn. The result was Bob's first CD - "A Lifetime of Music." He was invited to be part of the first CD released of the Medora Musical's favorite songs.

Bob is survived by his beloved wife of 45 years, Sandy; his sons, Jon and James (Karman), both of Glenwood; his daughters, Gretchen Collver, Ramsey, Minn., Kristine (Russ) Bakke, East Bethel, Minn., and Barbara (Steve) Jurek, Glenwood; one brother, Craig (Nancy) Bergman, Minneapolis; one sister, Barbara (Ray) Hand, Springfield, Mass.; his grandchildren, Cody and Tyler Collver, Nick and Zach Bergman, Alexander and Nia Jurek and Ashley and Allison Bergman; and eight nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death were his parents.

In lieu of flowers, donations are preferred to Central Square Cultural Centere in Glenwood. (Anderson Funeral Home, Alexandria, Minn.)