Ronald Dean Bergman

Ronald D. Bergman, 77, of Stratford, Iowa, passed away on Sunday, February 20th, 2022, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.

A celebration of Ronnie’s life will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, February 26th, 2022 at the First Baptist Church in Stratford. Pastor Jim Mead will officiate. Visitation will be Friday, February 25th, from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church. Burial will be at a later date at the Hardin Township Cemetery, rural Stratford. For online obituary and condolences visit: www.carsonstappfuneralhome.com.

Ronald Dean Bergman was born on December 10, 1944, to Florence Amanda (Anderson) and Carl Edward Bergman at the Hamilton County Hospital. Ronnie was the youngest of seven children. He grew up in Stratford, Iowa, and graduated from the Stratford High School in 1964. He then graduated from the Diesel Mechanic's Program at Greer Institute in Chicago.

Ronnie married Susan Holbert on December 21, 1967, at the First Baptist Church of Stratford.

Ronnie was always motivated and always had a job. At the age of 12, he bought his first car and drove out to Soder’s Honey House to work. At 16, he drove a school bus, and bought an old gravel truck to run a garbage route in Stratford. After graduating high-school, Ronnie and a friend drove to Alaska to work for the Fish and Game Department as game wardens for several months.

In later years, Ronnie drove a gravel truck, worked for Hormel’s, the Lehigh Sewer Pipe, Ziegler’s in Fort Dodge, Duesenberg Construction, and for Becker’s Sand and Gravel. He helped do the dirt work for Interstate 35.

Ronnie was a diesel mechanic, farmed, and was a gifted carpenter. Ronnie built the barn at their home and had a sawmill. He harvested trees from his farm and the surrounding area, milled them into boards to be air dried and used for various future projects for their home. These projects included the woodwork and cupboards of their home. He also built special items for his kids and grandkids, such as a rabbit hutch, saddle racks, and a variety of other projects.

Ronnie enjoyed gardening, canning, traveling, and camping. He traveled to both oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, and had camped in every state west of the Mississippi.

But most of all he enjoyed his family. He liked the grandkids, kids and their in-laws, to gather for family celebrations. Ronnie was good to help cook, peel, and chop fruits and veggies for special dishes. Ronnie loved having the grandkids around, and often picked them up at school or chauffeured them to appointments. He always had a bowl of popcorn ready for their movies when they arrived. Ronnie also opened his home to kids who needed a home and treated them as his own. When he got bored, he hopped on his Honda Big Red and took a ride down to the river or up through the timber.

Ronnie was preceded in death by his parents, Florence and Carl, and his sisters, Patty, Shirley and Norma and his brothers Robert, and Howard. He is survived by his wife, Sue, of 54 years, children, Matthew of Lake City, Benjy (Therese) of Stratford, Amanda (Chris Paulson) of Boone, Jonathan (Danielle) of Reseda, CA. , and almost-daughter, Angela (Scott Tallant) of Waukee. He is also survived by 9 grandchildren: Taylor, Gabby, and Olivia Bergman, Morgan, Delaney, and Cael Paulson, and Drew, Aiden, and Ava Tallant, his brother, Jerry Bergman of Stratford, and two fur babies, Otis and Poncho.