Henry Bergen

Henry Bergen was born in Fuerstenwerder, Ukraine, USSR on August 5, 1937 to parents, Henrich and Maria Bergen (née Friesen).  Due to the chaos of WWII, his father was taken away on September 5, 1941, and was never seen again.  Henry’s mom was informed by her brother-in-law that Henry’s father had starved to death in a prison camp.  September 1942 until February 1, 1947 were spent moving around to try to keep safe and avoid the war. On February 1, 1947, Henry, along with his mother, brother and sister left the port of Bremerhaffen on the big ship Vollendam. They transferred to another ship on February 24, 1947, bound for Chaco, Paraguay.

Once in Paraguay, Henry, his siblings and his mother were brought to the place they were to homestead, and there they built a house with two small rooms made of adobe bricks.  This is where they lived until they immigrated to Canada in 1954.  They arrived in Vauxhall, Alberta, in December 1954 – the cold temperatures were a huge shock compared to the heat of Paraguay!  Henry worked on farms outside of Vauxhall and in Grassy Lake, Alberta, before moving to Calgary in 1959, where he learned construction – cribbing and framing houses.

It was in Calgary that Henry met his future wife, Anne-Marie.  They were married in August of 1963.  Henry and Anne-Marie started their family and have four living children: Lara, Annamarie, Karl and Tania.

Henry had a strong faith.  In 1977, he had a horse roll on him, and his right ankle was crushed into many pieces.  The doctors told Henry he would never walk again, let alone be able to work in construction.  Henry’s response to the doctor was, “I believe that all things are possible, and I have faith I will be able to walk again.”  The doctors could not believe how all the pieces of his ankle came back together and healed.  Henry did go back to working construction, and even with the pain that lingered in his ankle, younger workers were hard-pressed to keep up with him.  

Henry’s faith was tested again when, in April 2009, he suffered a massive stroke, which left him requiring 24/7 care.  Again, doctors did not hold out much hope.  Henry showed us all what faith and perseverance mean, and positively impacted those around him – both at the Bethany Care facility where he resided, and at the U of C where he went twice a week for rehab.  Sincere thanks are given to Emma and Rianne, as well as their volunteers at the U of C, for their fantastic work with Henry.  

The family would also like to extend our thanks to the following individuals at Bethany Care who looked after Henry: nurses Anna, Rita, Jay, Diane, Angelina, Marion, Shiyuan, and Cassie; to the care assistants Jasmine, Merle, Mecredes, Chris, Randy, Cole, Connie, Emma, and Marlene for always looking out for Henry’s best interests.  Thank you to Teri in Recreation – Henry loved playing bocce ball and going on the various outings!  Our gratitude to the OT department for assisting with keeping Henry’s wheelchair in good working order.  Our deepest appreciation goes to Dr. Hutton, who, through all the years, took exceptional care of Henry, was always available to speak with the family, and made Henry’s comfort his top priority.

Henry left this world on June 27, 2024, to be with his wife, Anne-Marie, who went on before him on March 25, 2021.  They are now together again, laughing and living in love and light.

Henry possessed an inner strength and resolve that was inspirational to everyone who knew him. While he didn’t have much to say, there was so much love in every word he did say, as it always matched how he lived his life. There was a quiet foundational safety in his personal energy that gave such a sense of security to us all. No matter the hardships, the pain, the trials or tribulations, he persevered through them all with such enormous strength and dignity and would reply with, “What else are you going to do?”. Henry’s work ethic and quality of work are unsurpassed. His devotion to his family and taking care of them was always at the forefront of his priorities and we all benefited from the enormous gifts of his hard work and his love.

Henry was incorruptible, the finest quality of a man, who through his own actions and words have consistently reflected an enduring strength, love and kindness. He was always fair.

Henry will be forever thought well of, and forever missed by his children Lara and Henry Janzen, Annamarie Bergen, Karl and Carolyn Bergen, and Tania and Jason Middleton, and his grandchildren: Luke & Micah Janzen, Jiovan (Jovy) & Roehm Bergen, and Brody and Tiana Middleton, as well as many friends and family.

A Celebration of Life to honour Henry, and his wife Anne-Marie who passed away during the pandemic, will be held at Evan J. Strong Funeral Services North (3625 12th Street, NE) on Friday, August 16, 2024 at 2:00 p.m., with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada www.heartandstroke.ca.

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