HARVEY BERG
January 27, 1929 - March 03, 2021
Obituary
Rev. Harvey M. Berg of Neenah, Wisconsin passed away on Wednesday, March 3, 2021 at the age of 92. Harvey died peacefully with family at his side.
Harvey was born in Whitehall, Wisconsin on January 27, 1929 to Melvin Berg and Mabel (Norlyn) Berg. He graduated from Arcadia High School in 1946, St Olaf College in 1950, and Luther Seminary in 1954. He subsequently earned a Masters in Theology from Luther Seminary and a Doctorate in Ministry from Andover Newton. On the same day in May 1954, he graduated from the seminary, was commissioned into the army, and became engaged to Shirley Lois Utech, whom he married on February 15, 1955.
In 1955, Harvey and Shirley moved to Germany, where Harvey served as Army chaplain to a unit in Bad Kissingen. Upon returning to the US, Harvey was called to serve as parish pastor in Strum, Wisconsin. In 1962 he received a call to active duty with the 32nd division in Tacoma, Washington.
In 1963, Harvey became Associate Pastor at University Lutheran Church of Hope in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he remained until 1967. In 1967, the family moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin, where Harvey began working at Lutheran Social Services (LSS) in Milwaukee. He later opened an office for LSS in Waukesha. At LSS, Harvey provided marriage and family counseling, touching the lives of many through his thoughtful care.
Later in his career, Harvey served as director of the Pastoral Care Department at St Luke's Hospital in Milwaukee. After his retirement in 1998, Harvey raised a substantial amount of money for an endowment to sustain the Pastoral Care Department into the future. Harvey remained a chaplain in the US Army Reserve, rising to the rank of Colonel, and serving with various units in Wisconsin and Illinois. He served his country for 38 years.
In 2014, Harvey and Shirley relocated to Neenah to be near their daughter Deborah and her family. Harvey instilled a love of travel into his family. He and Shirley organized many family trips well into their 80s, including cruises to Alaska, Europe, and the Caribbean. Harvey loved to play golf and spend time with family and friends. He was known for his humor, caring demeanor, and gregarious nature. He will be dearly missed and forever cherished in our hearts.
Harvey is survived by his wife, Shirley, sons David (Mark Hooker) and Douglas, daughter Deborah (Scott) Beyer, and granddaughter Anna Beyer. He is further survived by his older brother, Eldon (Helen) Berg, as well as nephews and nieces and other family members.
A Memorial Service for Harvey will be held at 12:30 pm on Saturday, June 5, 2021 at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 1140 Tullar Road, Neenah. Visitation will be held at the church from 10:00 am until the time of the service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association (alz.org) in memory of Harvey. For those unable to attend, the service will be livestreamed. Please follow the link to view the service: https://youtu.be/8qlR5sEGvNQ.