Ivan Burgener

Ivan L. Burgener, a lifelong resident of Collinsville, Illinois, entered the presence of his Savior, Jesus Christ, with his family by his side, on July 6, 2025, at the age of 92. He was born on November 25, 1932, in St. Louis, Missouri, to the late Clifton and Myra (Zerkel) Burgener.
Ivan graduated from Collinsville High School in 1950, where he proudly played the trumpet in the school band-a love of music he passed on to his family. He then attended the University of Illinois, where he married his college sweetheart, Nina Nilsson, and earned a degree with honors in chemical engineering in 1955. He later became a licensed professional engineer in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, and Georgia. During the late 1950s, he worked on nuclear fuel rods for the U.S. Department of Energy and was later recognized as a Cold War Patriot for his service. His professional contributions included a published technical paper in 1978 on reducing emissions from coal-fired boilers and a U.S. patent granted in 1983. He was dedicated to helping others-often repairing things for those in need and donating blood regularly until his health no longer allowed.
Beyond his career, Ivan's commitment to community and global engagement was evident. In 1993, he represented Collinsville on a Rotary International goodwill trip to Brazil. He and his beloved wife, Nina, shared a passion for travel; exploring destinations including Alaska, the Bahamas, Brazil, China, Egypt, much of Europe, Hawaii, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, and Sweden (Nina's birthplace).
In 1953, Ivan's life was forever changed when he placed his faith in Christ alone and embraced salvation by grace alone. From that moment on, he devoted himself to sharing the Gospel and teaching about the grace of God, often challenging others to examine their beliefs in light of Scripture. He actively served in numerous ministries throughout his life. Among his many leadership roles, he was a Plymouth Brethren missionary, President of the Berean Bible Society, President of the Berean Bible Fellowship, co-founder of the Berean Bible Institute, founder of Word of Grace Mission, and President of the Missouri Association for Creation. Since the mid-1990s, he served as the pastor of Affton Grace Bible Church and continued teaching Bible classes at the local senior center until his final week.
Ivan is survived by his loving wife of 71 years, Nina; his children: Ruth (Mike) Madawick, the late Phil Burgener, Lois Laynee, and Tim (Becca) Burgener; and by his grandchildren who knew him as Papa: Morgan (Ryan) Iaboni, Logan Burgener, Braden Burgener, Reagan (Dillon) Hageman, Lily Laws, and Jaden Burgener. He is also survived by his brothers, Wilfred and Lowell Burgener, and his sisters: Berna Dene Bowden, the late Marcia Acord, Luetta Cross, and Trudy Phillips, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins who will remember him with love.
We miss him deeply, and we look forward to the day we will see him again. Until then, we carry his legacy-telling his story, serving others as he did, and sharing the grace of God that shaped his life.
You are invited to join us in celebrating Ivan's life at Edgemont Bible Church, 5100 N Illinois, Fairview Heights, IL, on July 25th. Visitation will begin at 5:00 p.m., followed by a service at 6:30 p.m., where you are invited to speak and share stories and fond memories of Ivan. The services will be live streamed so for those wishing to see the service but not able to attend, please refer to one of these links: https://www.youtube.com/@EdgemontBibleChurch https://www.facebook.com/EdgemontBibleChurch
In lieu of flowers, Ivan would be honored by a gift to support the message he cherished most: the grace of God.
Donations may be sent to:
Word of Grace Ministries, P.O. Box 295, Taylorville, IL 62568.