Shirley Jean Bergeson

Shirley Jean Bergeson, who presented the world with eighty-nine years of spunk, hard work, humor and grit, passed away 27 March 2019 in Longmont, CO“ forty years to the month after the death of the love of her life, Harold Bergeson. Shirley was born 10 June 1929, in a little house on the prairie in eastern North Dakota to Ole and Ella Gilbertson. Through no fault of her own, the stock market crashed later that year and set the stage for a period that deeply influenced her perspective. Shirley moved with her parents and three brothers to Lake Park, Minnesota when she was just eight years old and her father was only a couple of years from his untimely death “ another significant event that shaped her life. In Lake Park, Shirley enjoyed an invaluable nurturing community and school system that she boasted of often. Navigating adolescence during World War II solidified a deep love for her country. Shirley earned her way through the University of Minnesota graduating with a B.S. in Home Economics. While at her first teaching job in Dawson, Minnesota, Shirley reconnected with her high school classmate whom she married a few years later. In 1958, with her first son Bruce on the way, Shirley and Harold moved to Belen, New Mexico where she became an active member of the community for fifty-five years. Shirley taught at Los Lunas High School for twelve years during which time she had another boy, Eric. She stepped away from teaching for five years to help run the family business “ Bergeson Main Pharmacy at 205 South Main Street in Belen. Tragedy struck with the sudden debilitating illness of Harold in 1974 and his subsequent death in 1979. After closing the drugstore, Shirley returned to teaching in the Belen School District. Always believing that work is a blessing, she pursued a successful second career as a real estate agent for nearly twenty years after retiring from education. She was an avid and active member of the Republican Party and a staunch supporter of the Minnesota Vikings “ The Vikes. In addition to her sons, Shirley leaves behind her brother, Roger Gilbertson, her daughter-in-law Tammy, and her grandchildren: Kelsey, Haley and Lucas. Shirley was a devoted wife, a loving mother, a loyal friend, a good Republican and a patriotic American. She was tough, she was genuine and she was sincere. We celebrate her tenacious life and are grateful for who she was and how she impacted us. May God bless her. No services will be held. Cremation entrusted to Ahlberg Funeral Chapel and Crematory. Share condolences at www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com.