Richard Dale Berger was born to Mary Ann and Jacob Berger at Towner, Colorado on February 24, 1920 and died in Eads, on May 13, 2007. He is the fourth of four children.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Etta, and one brother, Leland Berger, and one brother-in-law, Robert White. He is survived by one brother, Marolf (Peg) Berger of Yukon, Oklahoma, one sister, Dorothy White of Georgetown, Texas, one sister-in-law, Helen Berger of Delta, Colorado, his three daughters, Ann (Ernie) Schuster of Woodinville, Washington, Mary (Vinton) Engelhardt of Eads, and Marilyn Bowers of Aurora, five grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews and other kinfolk.

He was born and raised in Towner, and was the band director for his senior year. He married Floda Arnold and they had one daughter, Ann. They moved to Washington State where Ann grew up. Richard started working in the ship yards during the war and then went into the service in 1943. His assignments included many jobs and he was deployed to many locations in the country. When he went in for his last assignment, he decided to go to the "shortest line (which was the discharge line). He tells us that they just let him go. That was in 1945. We are not sure that is the whole story, but he never would tell anything else.

Richard came back to Colorado and held several jobs. He worked in a bakery, delivered milk in the La Junta area, and owned a furniture store in Eads before settling into his electrical/refrigeration business in Eads.

He loved and participated in sports and was an avid spectator in later years. He played baseball, bowled (he was one of a few that bowled a perfect score" at the Eads bowling alley), fished, golfed (was one of the men that started the Eads Golf Club) and flew a plane whenever possible.

When asked to take a patient to Denver, Richard and Etta (a nurse) were the first Flight for Life" air transportation for the residents of the area to Denver hospitals.

Ornery from the start, Richard had a sense of humor that no one was safe from. Early in his years, he and his siblings strung a rope between two grain elevators and would pull the ghost across the railroad tracks when the train would pass through, 'scaring' those on the train.

This trait would carry all through his life. His granddaughter brought a Nintendo to play with him. He plugged up the end of her gun and then played innocent as to why she could not score when he seemed to be getting a perfect score. Only days later did she find out from her grandmother what had happened.

But even his wife was not immune. He would go out to the Golf Club and watch Wheel of Fortune on the TV and then after it was over, go home and watch it on a different channel with her. Etta was puzzled at why Richard could give every answer even before the contestant. This went on for several weeks before someone told her what he was doing.

Most of the community will remember him for his famous old blue pickup' that he had built a tool box in the back. You could ask and someone would be able to tell you where he was at just because they recognized the pickup.

We know that there are many more stories out there. His family would love to hear them.

He loved his family, his friends, his community and his life. He will be missed.

Funeral services for Richard Berger were held on Friday, May 18, 2007 at 4:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church in Eads with Rev. Gary Goettel officiating. Love Liebl was the pianist with Sylvia Weeks as the vocalist singing Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art and The Lords Prayer. Serving as casket bearers were: David Engelhardt, John Philpy, Paul Schuster, Mark Schuster, Jeff Uhland and Doug Uhland. Honorary casket bearers were: Gene Weiser, Lloyd Philpy, Raymond Crow, William Woelk, Keith Uhland, Jack Liebl, Clarence Weber, Joe Schmitt and Gary Crow. Following the church service, the large gathering of family and friends processed to the Eads Cemetery for the final committal services.