Allan “Al” Lee Bergan, 67, Beulah, died suddenly on March 5, 2022, while vacationing in Key West, Florida. A memorial prayer service for Al will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, March 26, 2022 at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson. Visitation will be one hour prior to Saturday service. A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, July 3, 2022 at the A-Quarter Circle family ranch, northwest of Killdeer. The family requests that memorials honoring Al be donated to a charity that touches the donor’s heart.
He was born on December 23, 1954 in Bismarck to Lillian (Knudsvig) and Arnold Bergan to Dickinson. Al graduated from Dickinson High in 1973 and was a proud Midget. He competed in basketball and was a great track hurdler, holding the school record in that event for a time. Al attended Lake Region Jr. College in Devils Lake from 1973 to 1975, where he earned an associate’s degree in farm and ranch management.
While in college and after graduation, Al farmed and raised a ranch near South Shore, SD with his brother-in-law, James Taecker. He retired from this profession in 1976 due to severe drought conditions. Al moved to Fargo and during his 18 years there worked at the farm equipment companies Mobility and Frigstads as a Class A production welder, Red Owl Warehouse as a truck packer and owned and operated Mr. Steam Carpet Clean.
Al married LaMae Foss on May 28, 1977 in Devils Lake. Their family was complete with the birth of their beautiful daughter Alissa (aka “Little Al”) in December 1979. They made Fargo their home until 1994 when they moved to Devils Lake to operate Towers Bait & Tackle Shop , a lifelong dream. With the historic 25 foot rise of Devils Lake in 1997, the bait shop was lost in its flood waters. Al then found a career he loved with positions at Schwan Wholesale and J&S Vending, working as a truck driver and delivery person until his retirement in 2011.
Al was introduced to the game of curling in college, and he and LaMae’s love of the game grew in the early 1980s. His passion saw him play on four ND State Championship teams: one mixed in 1987 with cousins Curt and Connie Bergan, one mixed in 1992 with Garland and Jan Legacie, and two men in 1992 and 1993 on the Scott Dalziel team. Al’s main contribution to these winning teams was his strong and sharp sweeping skills.
In 2012, Al and LaMae retired to Beulah. Al wanted to live near Lake Sakakawea, as he loved catching salmon, and his beloved family ranch A-Quarter Circle northwest of Killdeer, affectionately called God’s Country. Al has been an avid fisherman and hunter all his life. He enjoyed his time on the water with friends and harvesting an annual deer at the ranch. Al has also participated in numerous elk hunts in Wyoming and New Mexico. Al was a life member of the National Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and considered the Lone Tree chapter in Harvey his ND chapter. With the move to ND West, Al was able to enjoy many ND Rodeo events and made five trips to the National Rodeo Finals in Las Vegas, Saddle Bronc being his favorite event. Al was a cowboy at heart, believing in cowboy ideals of the importance of God, family and country in his life.
Al is survived by his wife of 44 years, LaMae, Beulah; his daughter, Alissa (Mike) Coddington, Woodbury, MN; two grandchildren, Paul and Elaina Coddington; three sisters, Arlene (Gary) Elsom, Billings, MT, Mavis (James) Taecker, South Shore, SD and Louise Muecke of Gladstone; and many nieces and nephews. His parents predeceased him; her in-laws, Palmer and Lois Foss; brothers-in-law Ralph Muecke and Charles McLean; sister-in-law, Lana McLean; and his beloved Labrador Retrievers: Buddy, Sargent and Shadow. Arrangements are with Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson, www.ladburyfuneralservice.com