Gayle J. Bergstrom, 88

Gayle J. Bergstrom, 88, of Adams, Minnesota, died Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at the Stacyville Community Nursing Home.

Gayle Julian Bergstrom was born on August 23, 1934 in Austin, MN to Gertie (Risdahl) and Alvin Bergstrom. He grew up on a farm near Rose Creek with one brother, Allan. He attended school in Rose Creek and it was there he met Lavonne Gordon, his future wife, when they were in the first grade. While in high school he played football, basketball, and baseball. Lavonne and Gayle graduated from Rose Creek High School in 1952 and were married in Austin MN on April 10, 1954.

They had four children, Sherrie (Ron) Voigt, Austin MN, Bruce (Lori) Bergstrom, Adams MN, Blair (Kelly) Bergstrom, Albuquerque NM, and Richard (Sharon) Bergstrom, Austin MN, and seventeen grandchildren, Shauna, Joe, Andrea, Amy, Jennie, Emily, Brady, Carey, Jed, Carson, Olivia, Molly, Tanner, Michael, Matt, Chelsea, and Carter. Lavonne and Gayle have 23 great grandchildren with two more on the way.

Gayle was very community oriented and became a Rose Creek School board member in 1962 and helped organize the Southland District in 1972-1973. He completed his time as a board member after 25 years, also serving on the MN State School Board Association and the MN State High School League. He was very proud to present the State Football Championship Trophy to the Southland team in 1983.

Gayle was a member of Little Cedar Lutheran Church, served on the church council, and sang in the church choir for over 50 years. He also served on the SE MN District Committee for the Lutheran Church. He was a charter member of the Adams Lions Club and sang in the Forty Milers Barbershop Chorus for over 38 years.

Gayle was a member of the MN Corn Growers Association, the MN Ethanol Commission, the Mississippi River Resources Council, and served as chairman of the MN Corn Research and Promotion Council. He was a member of the National Corn Growers Association and the US Grains Council. Being so active in these organizations led him to promote farming practices and travel to Russia, Egypt, Morocco, Denmark, Mexico and numerous United States cities.

He volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and he enjoyed donating his time whenever possible. In his later years, he enjoyed gardening, especially growing gladiolas. He loved all MN sports and would watch whatever game was on.

His activities came to an end when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2016 and entered the Stacyville Nursing Home in June of 2021.

Family was very important to Gayle and he was an ever-present part of his children and grandchildren’s lives. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Allan, and mother and father-in-law, Helen and Purl Gordon.

A memorial service will be held at Little Cedar Lutheran Church in Adams, MN on Saturday, March 18th at 2:30 PM. Visitation will be 2 hours before the service. Gayle’s body was donated to Mayo Clinic for medical education and research. Private interment of ashes will take place, at a later date, at Hoflanda Swedish Lutheran Church in Marshall Township.

The family would like to thank the staff at the Stacyville Nursing Home for the excellent care Gayle received while living there.

Memorials may be directed to the American Parkinson Disease Association or the Parkinson’s Foundation.

Adams Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.