Eileen Berger

Eileen Berger (Opatz) was born on May 3, 1926 in Sauk Rapids, MN. She graduated from Cathedral high School, St. Cloud, MN and was the first of her family to graduate from college. During World War II, she helped build C47 transport planes as a "Rosie the Riveter. After graduation from the College of St. Benedict (1948), she taught in Big Lake and Forest Lake, MN. She married Gerald Berger in 1950 and was a stay-at-home mother to five children: Joan, Jay, Paul, Mark and Julie. During this time, she became an active alumnae of the College of St. Benedict as President and Class Representative for over 40 years. She and Gerry traveled the world and even in her later years, she continued organizing trips abroad with her family. For a number of years, Eileen taught English as a Second Language to young women through the University of Minnesota. Her love of singing included church choirs and a long-time association with the Silver Harmony Singers in White Bear Lake. For over twenty years Eileen volunteered as a teacher and Religious Education Director, a cantor and a lector at St. Jude of the Lake Parish in Mahtomedi. At age 50 she became a volunteer foreign student advisor at Lakewood Community college and made life-long friends from Iran, Saudi Arabia, The Gambia Nigeria, Germany, France, Japan, Korea and China. In addition to her family her students were the biggest joy in her life. It was during this time that she earned a Master's Degree at the University of Wisconsin/River Falls. She was on the first board of directors for the White Bear Center for the Arts and co-president when the organization hired its first director and moved to the Armory. In 1989, at age 63, Eileen wrote the 50-year history of St. Jude's Parish and learned to use the computer. During the following 25 years, she wrote the following family histories: Alex Opatz Family History, Stephen Sobiech Family History, Mary DeLa Hunt History, her three-volume autobiography and the George Berger Family History. In 2017, at age 90, she and her daughter, Joan Berger Bachman, co-authored a conversational manual called If Only You Would Ask, a helpful tool to foster meaningful conversation with the elderly. After age 90, she continued teaching a group of beloved students from India, Ecuador and Mexico. During the remaining years of her life, she wrote poetry. Her other favorite activities included entertaining, writing, and teaching cursive to her great grand-children. She enjoyed playing tennis until age 91. Preceding her in death was her husband, Gerald; brothers, Ralph, James, and Jerry. Her descendants include her beloved children: Joan (John), Jay (Patricia), Paul (Mary Cecilia), Mark (Daria), Julie (Scott); 13 grandchildren: Anna (Andrew), Sam (Kristi), Maria (Jimmy), Natalie, Olivia (Lukas), Lorna, Beau, Greta, Allegra, Luke, Michael, Lily and Adeline; and seven great-grandchildren: Jack, Caroline, Blake, Emma, Bella, William and John; and many nieces and nephews. A funeral mass will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, January 14, at Church of St. Pius X, 3878 Highland Ave, White Bear Lake. Visitation will be held from 4-7:30 PM on Friday, January 13, at Mueller Memorial, 4738 Bald Eagle Ave, White Bear Lake, and also an hour prior to the mass on Saturday. Private family interment. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to the College of St. Benedict, Eileen Berger Scholarship Fund. One of Eileen’s legacies was wearing hats for special occasions. Women are encouraged to wear hats to her funeral. Mueller Memorial-www.muellermemorial.com