Phillis Berg
Jan. 25, 1927-Sept. 23, 2021
Phillis Berg, 94, passed
away peacefully with her
daughters at her side on
Thursday, September 23,
2021, at the Heart of
America Care Center in
Rugby, North Dakota.
Phillis Marie (Cruden)
Berg was born January 25,
1927, the first child and
first daughter of Pam-
philus Jr. and Mary (Barr)
Cruden. She was born at
home on the farm known
as the Marucheck farm in
East Barton Township, Pi-
erce County, N. Dak.
Phillis was born with a
birthmark on her face
which caused her much
heartache throughout her
life, especially as a young
girl. It concerned her not
so much during her adult
life for it taught her “to ac-
cept all things as they are”
and not to question God’s
Will or His Ways or His
Works.
In 1928 the family
moved two miles west to
the farm where she lived
for 74 years. She attended
Banner School District #2
through the grades and
graduated from Barton
High School in 1945. She
attended the University of
North Dakota in Grand
Forks until 1947, then
worked at Griffith Dept.
Store in Grand Forks as a
cashier in the business of-
fice. She spent a brief
time in Waterville, Wash.,
but returned to Rugby
where she worked at the
Northwestern Bell Tele-
phone Company under
the supervision of her
Aunt Rachael Bardell, the
chief operator. After a
year she went back to
Grand Forks where she
worked at the Grand
Forks Herald and Bridge-
man Creamery. It was
there, at a Saturday night
dance in Grand Forks,
that she met her husband
Lawrence.
Phillis and Lawrence
were married April 12,
1953, at Bethany Lutheran
Church, Rugby. The cou-
ple started their married
life on her parents’ farm,
assisting with its opera-
tion.
The family lived in
Modesto, Calif., from 1959
-1961, seeking care and
education for their two
sons that had been born
with Down’s syndrome.
Finding nothing, the fami-
ly returned to the farm at
Barton and resumed farm-
ing. Phillis and Lawrence
were instrumental in
starting the GCARC (Geo-
graphical Center Associa-
tion for Retarded Chil-
dren) and remained active
in the organization until it
dissolved many years
later. She was an active
member of the VFW Auxi-
liary and Rugby’s Bethany
Lutheran Church
women’s groups. In 1989,
Phillis completed a family
history book on her
mother’s side, the Airth-
Hamilton Book, then start-
ed working on her father’s
family tree, the Crudens,
which her daughter Pam
helped her complete in
2013.
The couple retired from
farming in 1996, and in
2002 moved into Rugby’s
Haaland Manor. Lawrence
passed away in July 2008,
and Phillis continued to
reside at the Manor until
2015, when she moved to
the Haaland Home. In
September 2019 she
moved to the Heart of
America Care Center.
Phillis was a devoted
wife, mother and grand-
mother, a letter writer, a
picture taker, a gardener
(both vegetable and
flower), a genealogy
enthusiast, a gracious hos-
tess for family and holi-
day dinners, and a quiet,
sweet soul who will be
greatly missed. She was
very proud of the family
farm that was her parents,
hers, and now is her
daughter Penny’s home.
Phillis is survived by
daughters Pamela (Dave)
Anderson, Rugby, and
Penny (Jim) Pollman, Bar-
ton; five grandchildren,
Travis (Lisa) Anderson,
Chippewa Falls, Wisc.,
Joshua Anderson, Chelan,
Wash., Kirsten (Dan) Lee,
Lakeville, Minn.; Heather
(Blake) Schaan, Harvey,
N.Dak.; and Cody King,
Devils Lake, N.Dak.;
great-grandchildren Tiege,
Tenley, Parker, Collin,
Bentley, Gracelyn, Beck-
ett, Isabelle, Boston, Kade,
Reign, and Lyrical; a
niece, Theresa (Cordell)
Atkins, and nephew, Tom
(Kathy) Rodgers, both of
Colorado Springs, Colo.,
and numerous cousins
and friends. Phillis was
preceded in death by her
husband Lawrence W.
(July 2008); sons David L.
(November 2004), Daniel
R. (July 2014); a sister
Donelda Rodgers (August
2013), and her parents.
Funeral services were
held at 2:00 p.m. Thurs-
day, Sept. 30 at First
Lutheran Church in Rug-
by with burial in the Per-
silla Watts Cemetery, Rug-
by.
Soloist/Songleader:
Craig Wollenburg
Scripture Reader:
Theresa Atkins
Casket Bearers: Travis
and Lisa Anderson,
Joshua Anderson, Kirsten
and Dan Lee, Heather and
Blake Schaan, Cody King
and Tom Rodgers
Arrangements with the
Anderson Funeral Home
of Rugby. Online registry:
www.funeralsby
anderson.com