Kathy was born on March 19, 1956, in Northfield, Minnesota, to Lester and Doris (Quam) Flom. She grew up on the family farm in beautiful Sogn Valley. Attending school in Cannon Falls, she enjoyed cheerleading, playing flute, and competing intensely in powder puff football. After graduating from Cannon Falls High School in 1974, Kathy attended Mankato State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Parks, Recreation, and Community Education, with a minor in Geography.
A wonderful outcome of her time at Mankato State was meeting the love of her life, Daryl Bergs. Kathy and Daryl were joined together in marriage on June 2, 1979. Soon thereafter, they moved to Sleepy Eye and welcomed their children, Mishell (Shelly) and Bret.
Kathy loved working as the elementary librarian at Sleepy Eye Public School for 25 years. She shared her love for reading whenever possible and was always looking for new books to recommend to students, teachers, family, and friends. At Trinity Lutheran Church in Sleepy Eye, Kathy served in a variety of ways, including that she sang alto in the choir, oversaw the church’s Christian Education, served with the local chapter of the Women of the ELCA (WELCA), and pioneered the annual “Cookie Walk” at Trinity, which has been an epic success and continues to this day. Some years, Kathy made as many as 40 dozen intricate cookies! This highlights another theme of Kathy’s life, which is baking: she was a terrific cook and baker, and she always had treats on hand for anyone who popped over for a chat.
When Kathy & Daryl moved to Hutchinson upon retirement, Kathy continued serving in many ways, especially in their church, River of Hope. She did everything from singing in the choir to organizing the storeroom to leading the women’s Bible study. She also enjoyed being part of the Crow River Conference of WELCA, where she served multiple terms as president.
Kathy was a researcher – everything from her Norwegian heritage to family vacations, from medical topics to interesting tidbits she heard in sermons and book studies. She cultivated beautiful flowers and bountiful gardens. She loved nature and carried a strong work ethic throughout her life. She was passionate about getting 10,000 steps a day and capturing memories through photography. Kathy valued relationships with close friends, and she was always ready to make new friends – even while in line at the grocery store, and with young and old alike. She especially loved spending time with her grandchildren! Kathy continued serving until the end through her church and the Crow River Singers, and she even helped plan and speak at her 50th class reunion while undergoing cancer treatments.
Kathy was a deeply loved wife, mother, grandma, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend. She will be greatly missed by her husband of 45 years, Daryl; her daughter Shelly Lemons and husband Brandon; her son Bret Bergs and wife Shannon; grandchildren Mikias & Tehila Lemons and Addison Bergs; sisters Julie Warner and Pam (Steve) Tralle; brothers Eric (Melanie) Flom and Evan Flom; mother-in-law Geraldine Bergs; three nieces and one nephew; numerous cousins; and her many friends. Kathy was preceded in death by her parents, brother-in-law Gary Warner, and sister-in-law Mary Flom.
To honor Kathy’s love for singing, there will be a special choir opportunity at her funeral service. If you are interested in singing a choir piece during the service, please arrive at the Hutchinson Event Center at 10:00am on Saturday, December 21, for a brief rehearsal.