Ardell Mae Bergmann died peacefully on March 10, 2021 in her home of 68 years.
Ardell was born on May 9, 1930 in Columbia, South Dakota to her parents Walter R. and Minnie T. (Weismantel) Ramthun. When Ardell was 5 they moved to LeMars, Iowa. She attended grade-school in LeMars, IA and High School in Cherokee, IA and in Chillicothe, MO where she graduated from in 1949. She attended nursing school in KC where she got an LPN degree and worked as a nurse in the hospital in Osceola, IA where her parents lived at that time. She married Harold James Bergmann at St. John’s Lutheran Church at Chillicothe, MO on May 25th, 1952 and then moved to Sedalia. She worked as a nurse for Dr. A.L. Lowe and T.J. Hopkins until the births of her 4 daughters: Debora, Denice, Diane, and Darla. After her daughters graduated from school, she went to work as an optometric assistant to Dr. Chester Kirkpatrick and later for Dr. Brett Liesemeyer. She retired in 1992 and then went to work as a lunch lady at Horace Mann Elementary School for several years. She was a member of St. Pauls Lutheran Church where she taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, sang in the choir for many years, and was an active member of the LWML. Ardell loved children, family get-togethers, sewing, cooking, gardening, flowers, reading, playing cards, and singing in the church choir.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold, in 2016, and by her parents (above), her brother and sister-in-law, Harley and Phyllis Ramthun, and her sister and brother-in-law, Ione and Dourne Altenderfer. She is survived by her 4 daughters: Debora Bergmann and Denice Knight of Prairie Village,KS; Diane Belsha (Craig) of Kirkwood, MO; and Darla Cook (Tom) of Quarryville, PA. She also has 5 grandchildren: Brett (Maggie) Knight, Brooke (Marc) Morrison, Rachel (Matt) Clark, Megan Belsha, and Joseph Cook. She has 6 great grandchildren: Maevyn and Boden Morrison; Graham, Clark, and Rudy Knight; and Caroline Clark.
Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at Memorial Park Cemetery with Pastor Douglas Dubisar officiating. Pallbearers will be Hugh Fowler, Brian Altenderfer, Rick Knight, Bill Bergmann, Jr., Craig Belsha, and Tom Cook. Those attending the services are kindly asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing. Friends may sign the guestbook and pay their respects from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday, March 15, 2021 at McLaughlin Funeral Chapel.
The family suggests memorial donations be made to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church or School in care of McLaughlin Funeral Chapel.