Bruce Brian Berg

A memorial service for Bruce Berg of Starbuck will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Minnewaska Lutheran Church in Starbuck with Reverend Micah Klemme officiating. Visitation will be at the church one hour prior to the service. Inurnment will be at a later date.

Bruce Brian Berg was born on January 8, 1937, the son of Ernest and Lorayne (Morstad) Berg, at his Maternal Grandparent’s home in Boyd, Minnesota, in a monster Minnesota Blizzard with all roads totally blocked. It was fortunate that a medical doctor lived next door. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith.

He graduated from Marshall High School in 1954. As a Marshall High School Tiger, Bruce was a very rare four-letter man in track. The letters each required a District 9 gold first place or a Regional or State meet medal. He earned his first as a freshman excelling in the 100 and 200 yard dashes. In football, he was always the fastest player on the field.

On his seventeenth birthday, he joined the Unites States Army National Guard. He entered active duty with enlistment in the Air Force on June 10 of that year. He was honorably discharged in 1959.

Years later, he was a Kellogg Fellow at the University of Minnesota Graduate School of Hospital Administration. Bruce also had degrees from Willmar Junior College, Southwest Minnesota State University and his MBA from the University of South Dakota, Vermillion. He also, in 1972, used his Master’s Degree and experience to teach at his Alma Mater, SMSU.

Bruce worked as a Corporate Accountant, Life and Disability Insurance Agent (while attending college), Plant Manager, Licensed Hospital and Nursing Home Administrator (CEO) in Minnesota, Illinois and Montana. He taught Sunday School, served a term as Treasurer of Trinity Lutheran and a term as Deacon of Minnewaska Lutheran Church. Bruce also served one term as an elected School Board member.

He married Bonna Jean Rikke on December 4, 1982, at Bethany Lutheran Church, Granite Falls, Minnesota. Bruce and Bonna were Licensed pilots and owners of a Cessna 172 in which they often commuted to work from Starbuck where Bruce first purchased season lakeshore property in 1965.

Bruce enjoyed hunting deer, golfing and reading. He also enjoyed pheasant hunting with his French Brittany Spaniel, Tesse.

Bruce Berg died on Monday, February 23, 2026, at Autumn Cottages in Alexandria following a battle with Alzheimer’s. He was 89 years old.

Bruce is survived by his wife, Bonna; son, Steve; daughter, Rondi Berg (Mark Kellogg); step-son, Todd (Nancy) Rikke; step-grandson, Justin (Kaitlin) Rikke; step-granddaughters, Samantha and Logan Rikke and his beloved dog, Tessa.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Lorayne and Ernest Berg and his in-laws, Gerda and Gifford Rikke.

The Starbuck Funeral Home in Starbuck is in care of the arrangements for Bruce.