Helen Barbara Bergemann

Born September 21, 1921 in Vineland, CO to German immigrants. Helen spoke only German until the family moved to Pueblo when she was five. She attended Trinity Lutheran School, a one room school, as the only first grader. Through the focused attention of her teacher, her father taking her to the library for books and reading with her parents in the evenings, Helen was reading English many grades beyond first grade by the end of that first year. Thus began a lifelong passion for reading.

The depression years were tough but Helen loved to tell how her mother, no matter how little the family had, always shared their food with hobos who knocked on the door needing a meal, whether it was simply bread and jam or the meal set aside for Helen’s brother Willie.

Helen met the love of her life, Fred, as a young teenager at a neighborhood dance party. They eloped and married June 22, 1940 in Loveland, CO.

During World War II, Helen worked at the Colorado Army Air Base as a staff car driver in the motor pool. In 1943, the family moved to Portland, OR where both Fred and Helen worked for Kaiser Shipyard. Helen worked as a marker for the shrinkers, building AP-5 Attack Troup Transport Ships. When the call went out asking for people who knew how to type, she volunteered to transfer to the offices. After the war, they returned to Pueblo where she worked for the base Ordinance Depot. In 1953, the young family of five, moved to Nampa. There they owned a small dairy farm and raised their three sons, fruit trees and roses. Family outings were often day trips fishing in the mountains because the cows needed to be milked without fail morning and evening! Helen also worked in the offices of Showalter Chevrolet Company, Kit Manufacturing and Fleetwood Homes.

Helen was always open to adventures and at the age 76 she decided to re-learn German and take her first trip to Germany to meet family she had never met but had sent care packages to after WWII. Helen was a devoted Lutheran. Despite being blinded for many years by macular degeneration, she could still sing all of the songs without referencing the hymn book. At the age of 100, Helen’s next adventure began on June 5, 2022 when the angels called.

Helen is preceded in death by her parents Wilhelm Zittel and Susanna Göppel [J1] Zittel, husband Frederick Bergemann, siblings Lillian, William, Richard and Rudy Zittel. She is survived by three sons, Fred (Genie), Terry (Linda) and Rick (Rita) Bergemann.

Grandchildren Eric, Lisa, Amy, Michelle, Mike, Matt, Lara, Seth, Kyle, Robyn and Cory and 14 great-grand-children and two step-grandchildren.

The family would like to offer their sincere gratitude for the support of Helen’s friends Evelyn and John Lund and the outstanding staff of the Nampa Senior Center and Metro Community Services. 

Services, celebrating a life well-lived, will be held on June 16, 2022 at 11:00 at Zion Lutheran Church, 404 Nectarine St., Nampa. Interment at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens to follow.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Zion Lutheran School, Nampa.

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