My Dad. My Hero.

My Dad was many things to many people but I wanted to take today to share how I remember him and who he was to me. He was a fighter & a survivor. When he received his diagnosis he was given six months to two years and in the next seven years of his life he graduated from pastor's college, built a home, pioneered a church, touched hundred's of lives and survived longer than any doctor could have imagined. He was a man of restoration; not just the buildings he restored but lives; he was teacher of God's word. A pilot, Dancer, Father, Husband, Lover, Grandfather, a man of principles and values, sensitive, very loved, trouble maker, bow hunter, fly fisherman, horseman. He loved roller coasters, and shooting pool. I loved to watch him beat his opponent on the pool table with one hand behind his back. He loved music & collecting cars and motorcycles. He was funny and handsome and he had the abililty to just look at me and know what I had been up to. His eyes would tell you how he was feeling; proud, happy, upset, disappointed, in pain. My dad was my hero. He loved golfing and serving as a missionary. He had a 100% German temper

Hunter: He enjoyed hunting all types of game. He and my brother Bill went to Montana and hunted a moose with a bow and arrow. All the meat was donated to a local tribe.

Shanaco was one of Dad's favorite horses. He told an amazing story about how the 2 of them got stuck in the middle of a huge snow storm in Colorado, and had it not been for Shanaco laying down next to his snow cave; he would not have survived.

Handsome: He had the most sincere smile, and always carried a comb in his back pocket in case his hair was out of place. The man knew how to look good!

Pilot: This is a picture of his last flight. Flying was one of his biggest passions. He sold his plane when I was small, but he always enjoyed his R.C. airplanes until he was too weak to fly.

Thrill seeker. I used to love hearing his stories of adventures he had been on. I can't remember how many perfectly good airplanes he said he jumped out of, but it was a lot!! He even had a skydiving accident. His shoot didn't open on one of his jumps and he landed through the roof of a barn, and cracked his helmet right open, but survived.

Fisherman. During the school seasons he couldn't wait for the weekend; Dad was always ready to get out of Phoenix and up to the mountains.

His favorite spot to take the family was Lee's Ferry which is a little river on the other side of the Lake Powell dam hundreds of feet into these amazing canyons. We would boat to some of his favorite fishing holes, and set up camp.

Mandy & Harley were the last 2 birddogs he owned. Dad always said birddogs were not pets, but Mandy & Harley were the 2 most spoiled birddogs I've met. They went on EVERY trip with us. Mandy passed away the same year Dad did.

Hard-worker: Dad spent his life building & restoring homes and other buildings. His final project was to build his dream cabin home in Flagstaff, AZ so not long after his cancer diagnosis and pastor's college, all while undergoing chemo treatments; we built the most amazing log cited home in Equestrian Estates about a ten minute drive from downtown Flagstaff.

Fishing the Pacific North coast was on the top of his bucket list, and when Dad said he was going to do something he did. Although the injuries from this trip almost killed him, he had the time of his life; months before he passed away.

Pastor Bill: Dad was in pastor's college when he was diagnosed and thought it would be best to quit since he believed he would be too much of a distraction to his fellow classmates, but the Dean wasn't going to hear anything of it, and dad went on to graduate top of his class from Phoenix First Assembly's pastor's college. He and my mom both pastored Shiloh Community Church which was a non-denominational Christian based church and ran a homeless shelter in the rear of the church. Some members of the church still have a gathering to feed the homeless in Flagstaff and call it Berg's BBQ in memory of Dad.

Dad was a strong believer in Beans, Rice and Jesus Christ.

He was a loved man.

He was a great dancer. He and my mom used to teach Country Dance lessons together.

This was Dad's last dance.

I have learned that a daughter's Love for her Father can grow even stronger when it's separated by death; I love & miss you more and more everyday Daddy!