Evelyn Berger

Evelyn Berger, age 97, of Perham , MN , died Wednesday, December 3, 2008 , at the Perham Memorial Nursing Home.


Evelyn Pausch was born in Vergas , Minnesota on August 28, 1911 , to Edmund and Bertha Pausch. When Evelyn was one year old, her family moved to a farm on the south shore of Long Lake . She attended the one-room Lake Sybil School where, in first grade, she and other students knitted wool blocks to make blankets for soldiers in World War I. Evelyn graduated from Perham High School and was honored in 1928 as the first Miss Perham. She attended Moorhead State Teachers’ College where she earned a certificate to teach grades Kindergarten through Eight. Her first job was to teach eight grades of children in the one-room Rose Lake School . Her salary was $50 per month of which $10 per month was used for room and board.



On June 7, 1938 , Evelyn married Albert Berger. On their farm, surrounded by lakes, north of Dent, Minnesota , Evelyn and Albert reared three sons, Donald, Dale, and Alvin. Every year they had a big garden. Evelyn was a 4-H leader, an officer of the PTA, Sunday school teacher and superintendent, and she sang in the church choir.



After Albert died suddenly in 1963, Evelyn returned to Moorhead State College to earn her Bachelors degree. For nine years she worked with teachers and administrators in Detroit Lakes to develop special programs for remedial reading instruction in elementary grades. Upon retirement, Evelyn tutored adults who had difficulty reading. She also was a member of the Detroit Lakes Charleston Swingers, a dancing quintet that performed throughout the region for ten years, including the Minnesota State Fair on Evelyn’s 69 ^th birthday.



Although Evelyn always lived quite near her original home, she traveled extensively. Besides many trips to Florida , California , and Michigan to visit family, she was in 49 states (sorry, Vermont ) and Washington , D.C. She also visited Canada , Mexico , Ecuador , Panama , the Netherlands , Germany , Jamaica , and by ship she visited Nova Scotia , the Bahama Islands , Catalina Island , and the Galapagos Islands .



Evelyn moved to Perham in 1994 where she enjoyed volunteering at the Perham Memorial Home, fellowship at the United Methodist Church, the Perham Senior Center, and monthly meetings at the “Widows’ Luncheon.” Evelyn earned a reputation as an entertaining teller of jokes and stories.



Evelyn is survived by her three sons, Donald (Pat) Berger, Tallahassee, FL; Dale (Peggy) Berger, Clairemont, CA; and Alvin (Gladys) Berger, Brownstown, MI; and four grandchildren, Laura Evelyn (Ian Kaufman), Alex, Ana Maria (Ryan Corby), and Eric.



Preceding Evelyn in death are her parents; husband, Albert; brother, Reinhard; and sister, Helen.



She was “Auntie Evelyn” to her many cherished nieces and nephews and their children and grandchildren.



Memorials are preferred to the Weimann Community Cemetery (c/o Colleen Kroenke, 43089 E. Big McDonald Drive , Dent , MN 56528 ).