Rodney "Rod" F. Bergen

Rodney “Rod” Bergen, 92, of Moorhead, MN, passed away Friday, February 7, 2025, at Bethany on University in Fargo, ND, under care of Ethos Hospice.

Rod was born in Fon du Lac, WI to Fred and Flossie (Aplin) Bergen. He graduated from Fon du Lac High School and from the University of North Dakota where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He was captain of the UND baseball team and also played football and basketball there. 

He was drafted into the Army in 1953 and served with the Honest John Rocket battalion in Germany. While there, Corporal Bergen was captain and leading scorer of the battalion basketball team when they won the championship.

Rod married Geraldine (Deanie) Haugen in McVille, ND on August 17, 1958. 

Rod taught and coached in Kennedy, MN, Granite Falls, MN, Agassiz School in Fargo, ND and the Campus school for Moorhead Teacher’s College (which later became MSUM). He received a Bush grant to study at the University of Minnesota and later a Fulbright grant to the teacher exchange program. He taught and was a sportsmaster in Welwyn Garden City, England. While there he learned more about soccer and coached soccer teams in Moorhead for several years. 

He was the Assistant Superintendent in Moorhead schools from 1970 until he retired in 1991. 

Rod and Deanie spent many years in Mesa, AZ and made many great friends there. His favorite place was Sugar Bush Lake in Minnesota. Rod was instrumental in creating Big Sugar Bush Lake Association Board and the Becker County Lake Association. 

Rod was an avid fan of all his grandkids’ activities, and he was always in the front row.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Flossie Bergen; his in-laws, Nace M. and Mickey Haugen; his infant daughter, Shele Jane Bergen and his brother-in-law, Nace J. Haugen. 

He is survived by his wife and 2 sons, Scott (Jenn) and Mark (Jeni) and four grandchildren, Elizabeth, Brooke, Julianna and Michael Bergen; a sister, Mary (Rolland) Seibel; nieces, Kristi Haugen White, Kelly Haugen, Sheila Semanek and nephew, Charles Seibel. 

A memorial service will be held Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at 11:00 A.M., at Wright Funeral Home in Moorhead, MN.  Visitation will be from 10:00 to 11:00 A.M.  The service will be livestreamed here on Rod's webpage. Rod's final resting place will be at the Fargo National Cemetery, later in the spring.

Memorials may be directed to Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead, MN or the Veteran’s Honor Flight of ND/MN PO Box 644 West Fargo, ND 58078 or online at veteranshonorflightofndmn.org.