Cornelius Bergen

Cornelius Bergen, age 82, of Swift Current, SK, passed away peacefully on January 4th, 2019 at the Cypress Regional Hospital after a brief hospitalization. At his request, there will be no formal funeral service, but a cremation will take place and a celebration of life will be held in his honour in Big River, SK at a future date. Cornie is survived by his daughters, Wendy Beattie (Murray Weston) of Swift Current, SK and Kimberly (Darryl) Scherr of Edmonton, AB and grandchildren Robert Beattie, Michael Beattie, Blake (Alexus) Weston, Kayla Weston and Carley Weston of Swift Current, SK, and Madison and Parker Scherr of Edmonton, AB. He is also survived by one great grandchild, Nikita Weston-Lange. Cornie was from a large family and grew up in the Big River area. He is survived by 7 brothers and sisters, Dick (Rita) Bergen, Margaret (Arthur) Peterson, Nettie Scorgie, Tena Amundson, Helen Rempel, Susan (Jack) Reimer, Betty (Clifford) McKnight, and many nieces and nephews. Cornie was predeceased by his wife Alva, his parents Anna and Diedrich, his siblings, Pete, Henry, Abe, Jake, and two infant siblings, Anna and John. He was also predeceased by his father and mother in-law, Christina and Walter Waddle, and brothers and sisters-in-law, Audrey Scorgie, Susie Bergen, Leslie Scorgie, Raymond Amundson, Henry Rempel, and Maria Bergen. Cornie was born on July 10th, 1936 on the farm near Hepburn, SK. He grew up in the Big River area and moved to Regina where he married Alva Gear and had their two daughters, Wendy and Kimberly. The family moved to Estevan in 1970 where Cornie pursued his career as a power engineer at Boundary Dam with Sask Power. He worked there for 26 years and developed many long-lasting friendships before his retirement in 1993 at the age of 57. After Alva's death in 2001, Cornie moved to Swift Current to be closer to family, where he resided for the remainder of his life. Family and friends were always the cornerstone of Cornie's life. He had so much fun and so many laughs whenever he was around the people he loved. Cornie would always laugh until he had tears flowing down his face. One of his favourite hobbies was skunking his relatives in a game of crib, after expressing that he "doesn't really remember how to play". Cornie taught himself how to play the 5-string banjo and spent many hours in the basement of his Estevan home practicing so that he could play well enough to be in a family band. He had a love for old-time country music and he enjoyed the many opportunities to play at the Riverside Jamboree at Jack and Susan's farm every year, one of his favourite places to be. He also loved the outdoors and spent as much time as possible outside on his deck or in his garage. Cornie kept an immaculate garage and had the amazing ability to be able to construct or repair anything. You could be certain that he would never pay for any professional services, and that if his car would go to the shop, he would oversee everything that was being done by the mechanic. He was also extremely minimalistic and lived off the bare minimum because he considered anything else to be "totally unnecessary". You could find him, every evening, in front of the television watching nature shows or funniest home videos, or sitting outside on his deck when the weather was warm. Last but not least, Cornie was extremely generous in his later years, and donated much of his income to those less fortunate. Cornie was an amazing father, grandfather, brother, and son, and made an impact on everyone he knew. He will be deeply missed, but his memory will live on forever. You can be sure that when we meet again his first words will be: What are youuuu dooooing? In Cornie's memory, memorial donations may be made to the Dr. Noble Irwin Health Care Foundation, 2051 Saskatchewan Drive, Swift Current SK S9H 0X6.
Warren's Funeral Home were entrusted with the arrangements. For further information call 306-773-8831 or 1-800-267-6606 or visit our website at www.warrensfuneralhome.com and express your sympathy to family members in our book of condolences.

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