Ronald William Bergman

Ronald William Bergman was born on June 17, 1941 in Omaha, Nebraska.  He left this earth to be with the Lord on April 28, 2018. His parents preceded him in death.

Ron is survived by his wife Eileen, their son Rick, Plymouth, Minnesota; his brother Ray and wife Susan of Madison; niece Krista Williamson and family; nephew Scott Bergman and family; also numerous cousins.

 Eileen and Ron met in 1968 at a young singles ministry entitled Gateways to Life which was held at the First Presbyterian Church in Omaha, Nebraska.  He was an operations supervisor at Swift & Company and Eileen was an elementary school teacher in Millard, Nebraska.  Coincidentally they were surprised to learn that they only lived three miles from each other.  It was a classic old-time courtship; Ron says it was love at first sight.  They were engaged on Valentines Day in 1969 and married on July 26, 1969.

            His career with Swift & Company, now known as Con-Agra, began in 1964 where his first assignment was in Rochelle, Illinois as standards or incentive checker. He was promoted to be the Customer Co-coordinator and supervisor of the shipping cooler, and relief supervisor.  He was transferred to Omaha, Nebraska in 1967.  His first transfer as a married man was to Tolleson Arizona in various supervisory positions.  In fact, he was transferred to Arizona before they were married. Their honeymoon was the move to Arizona.  The position in Arizona led to several opportunities for advancement.  It was there that his career turned from operations department supervision to administration of plant labor relations and plant superintendent.  They were transferred in 1977 to Dumas, Texas which was the largest plant in the chain.  He accepted the assignment of Training Director and later assumed the position of Assistant to the Manager and Personnel Director.  In 1980 Ron was transferred to the corporate office in Chicago, Illinois where he served as a Regional Employee Relations Manger.  The position involved employee and labor relations in several plants and sales unit facilities.  The position of Employee Relations Manger became open in St. Charles Illinois. The family moved from Downers Grove to a new home in Elburn, Illinois.  Eileen and Ron wanted to provide their son Rick with some roots and a place to stay in one school through his secondary education. The St Charles plants were within seven miles of their home and the two hours per day commute on the train per day became history.  The home in Elburn provided many blessings and became the home of Eileen’s mother, as well.

February of 1995 was a real transition year for the family.  Ron was contacted by a former employee of Swift & Company who had left the company to join Michael Foods in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  The opportunity to become the Director of Human Resources for the M G Waldbaum Company a subsidiary of Michael Foods was a great challenge.  After thirty-one plus years with Swift & Company, the family left the suburbs of Chicago for Minneapolis.  While employed with Michael Foods he was promoted to the position of Vice President of Human Resources for the entire corporation.  He retired in January of 2002 and remained a consultant negotiating labor contracts for eighteen months after retirement.  Ron and Eileen have been very thankful that God had provided such clear direction in the major career and business decisions.

While employed he was always active in community activities.  Retirement found him serving in the community as: meals on wheels driver, accounting clerk at the arboretum, shuttle driver at the Botanical Gardens, Sunshine Singers, repairing bibles for the Edwin Hodge ministries.  The church has always been a major focus in the Bergman family.  Sunday school teacher, usher, Deacon, library worker, maintaining the Church yard, and the formation of The Calvary Connection Newsletter, to name a few.  The church family has always been the Bergman family.

Ron truly saw God as his anchor and has always been thankful for the security and peace he has experienced in the decision-making processes of everyday life, and in the knowledge of the life that awaits him beyond this earthly pilgrimage.  Accepting Christ as his Savior was the most important decision he ever made and it is that decision that allows us to celebrate a life that has not ended, but moved on to a heavenly home with his Heavenly Father.

Hazel Green Funeral Home is honored to serve the family.

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