Wahoo Newspaper - Dec 12, 2002
Wahoo NE

Ethel Bergwell


ITHACA - Ethel Z. "Eddy" Bergwell, 75, of rural Ithaca died Monday,
Dec. 9, at her home in rural Ithaca.

Bergwell was born May 17, 1927, to George A. and Kathleen A. (Lang) Lakes
in Negaunee, Mich. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in Virginia,
Minn., in 1944. She earned a master's degree in secondary education with a
minor in journalism from the University of Minnesota in 1948. She earned
a second masters degree in social work from Los Angeles State College
in California in 1954.

On Dec. 22, 1949, she was united in marriage to John J. Bergwell at St.
Finbar Church in Glendale, Calif. The couple lived many places throughout
the years. They resided on a farm near Ithaca since 1973.

She was the director of the Family Services Association in Lincoln
for 20 years. She also served with the Department of Health and Human
Services in Lincoln for 10 years when joining the Lancaster County Health
Department in 1989. She became the City of Lincoln's first employer
resource specialist for child care. She retired from Health and Human
Services in October of 1995.

She was a member of St. James Catholic Church in Mead. She was a member
of numerous organizations on the state and local level.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.

She is survived by sons and daughter-in-law, John M. and Cheryl
Bergwell of Overland Park, Kan., and Jim Bergwell of Ceresco; daughters
and sons-in-law, Nora and Dana London of Malcolm and Laurie and Stan
Graves of Ithaca; brother and sister-in-law, George and Arline Lakes of
Oxnard, Calif.; grandchildren, John E., Nicholas, Sarah, Joshua, Hannah,
Mary Grace, Michael, Mallory and Megan Bergwell, Christopher London,
and Brian and Rebecca Murray; a niece, Kathleen Friel; nephews, George,
Robert and Ronald Lakes; special friends, Norma Markel, Mary Ann Haley
and Roma and George Black; and cousins, Marge Medrow, Bob, Ron and Don
Lang and Carol Smock.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, Dec. 12, at 10
a.m. at St.  James Catholic Church in Mead with Rev. Charles Townsend
officiating. Burial will be at Indian Mound Cemetery in Ithaca.

Visitation will be held Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Svoboda
Funeral Home in Wahoo with additional visitation one hour before the
services at the church.

A rosary will be recited Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. at St. James
Catholic Church in Mead.

Casket bearers are John M., Jim, Michael and Joshua Bergwell, Christopher
London and Brian Murray.

Honorary casket bearers are John E. and Nicholas Bergwell.

Memorials have been established to St. Elizabeth's Hospice of Saunders
County.

Svoboda Funeral Home of Wahoo is in charge of the arrangements.