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Nils "Gunnar" Berglund
1943 - 2022
Nils "Gunnar" Berglund
1943 - 2022
Obituary
Guest Book
BORN
1943
DIED
2022
Nils Berglund Obituary
Born: August 23, 1943 in Chicago, IL
Died: June 19, 2022
Nils Gunnar Berglund (1943-2022) died at Javon Bea Hospital in Rockford, Illinois with his family by his side. Born August 23, 1943, to Nils and Miriam (Granstrom) Berglund in Chicago, Illinois.
He grew up in Chicago and Brook Park, Minnesota. He made numerous trips to Sweden as a young boy and even learned the Swedish language.
He graduated from Von Stubben High School in 1962. He always said they graduated him to get rid of him because he was always into mischief.
He started to train as a plumber but decided to enlist in the US Navy, which he was proud of to this day. He was sent to Vietnam where he earned the Bronze Medal for Bravery. He returned home and continued his plumbing training and became a union plumber, working in Chicago. He then decided to become a farmer. He bought his farm in Capron, Illinois and his time in Minnesota taught him well. He also continued plumbing and started his own company "Pioneer Plumbing." In 1993, he became a plumbing inspector for the state of Illinois, working in Harvard and Boone County, retiring in 2020.
On January 9, 1999, he married his life's love, Carol Carlson. He and Carol spent a lot of time traveling and fishing.
Fishing was his passion. For fifty years, he went to Canada bringing along a lot of young boys, teaching them the ropes of fishing, where the holes were, and how to avoid all the hazards. His fishing stories will live on forever.
He is survived by his loving wife Carol; his children Christine (Bill) Anderson, JoAnne (Jim) Lukstein, Andrew (Lexi) Berglund, Brett (Sandy) Frederick, Shannon (Robert) Diamond, and Phillip Frederick; ten grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; many friends and cousins in Sweden.
Predeceased by his parents, Nils and Miriam Berglund, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins in Sweden.
Inurnment will be at a later date in a VA national cemetery. The visitation will be on July 2, 2022, at Blaine United Methodist Church from 9:30 – 12:00. 7200 Blaine Road Poplar Grove, Illinois 61065. Services at 12:00 noon with Pastor Tom Hay officiating. Military honors to follow.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to the family for an undetermined charity of their choice.
Family and friends may sign the online guestbook at www.saundersmcfarlin.net
Call Saunders & McFarlin Funeral Home for more info at 815-943-5400.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
2 Entries
Donna and Tom Spurlin
June 24, 2022
Our deepest Sympathies. We will miss sharing laughs while we all are eating at BCFR. Gunnar (like my husband)usually had to wait on us"women" to finish talking in order to leave. Thinking of you and your strength Carol
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The Staff of Saunders & McFarlin Funeral Home
June 29, 2022
Offering our deepest condolences during this difficult time.
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