Heinz Kurt Berg

By Steve Berg

That Man Is A Success:

Who has lived well, laughed often,

and loved much;

Who has gained the respect of intelligent men

and love of little children;

Who has filled his niche

and accomplished his task;

Who has left the world better than he found it, whether an improved

poppy, (or Tomato Plant), a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;

Who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty

or failed to express it;

Who has always looked for the best in others

and gave the best he had.

Our Wonderful Father, Heinz Kurt Berg was born on a Spring day April 13th 1931. He was raised by his Mother Marta and Father Fritz Berg in a small town in East Prussia called Ostroda. This town is now a part of Poland. As a child, he spent a lot of time with his favorite grandmother, Wilhelmena. Some of his childhood duties were to care for goats in the field and fish to help provide for his family. Heinz has 3 siblings: Ruth, Erika, and Kurt.

As a youth during WWII, Heinz experienced many hardships especially during the advancing Russian occupation. During this time he was separated from his Mother and had to survive on his own at only 14 years old. He also helped his siblings and several other kids….Heinz was like their “Gang Leader”. He thought his Mom was dead and he wasn’t reunited with his Mother until many years later. The story of his experiences in Germany, are nothing short of amazing and heartbreaking….and EPIC!

While still in Germany, his friends dared to and teased Heinz that he would never be able to make it in Canada. He won that dare – He was able to escape to West Germany and he made his way to North America in 1955. He sailed to Eastern Canada and settled in Winnipeg, Manitoba where he would work on boats, at a mink farm, and as an outdoorsman.

At a friend’s home in Canada, Heinz met his wife Christa. They were married on Dec. 22nd 1956 – they have been married for 58 years! In Winnipeg, they had my sister Karen and I. They always wanted to go to America so Heinz built a camper shell for an old truck, loaded up the family left Canada and moved all the way to Southern California. Supposedly, I was potty trained somewhere along the way. I don’t remember that journey, but I like to imagine a totally overloaded truck like the one from the movie “The Grapes of Wrath” but our truck had cloth diapers flapping outside to dry. When we arrived in CA, Dad had less than $35 left, which immediately he spent on items he needed for a new job.

We lived in Van Nuys and then moved to Saugus in 1973. Heinz is a self-educated and self-made man….I am very proud of all he accomplished; He has a beautiful home my family lovingly calls: The Gingerbread House. Heinz learned to read and write English very well. Heinz is very patriotic and he loves America………he and Mom became US citizens in 1970. Heinz is a huge history buff and probably knows more History than most US students and he learned it all in a second language.

In California, Heinz worked hard as a Union Cabinetmaker, Installer, and Carpenter. Although he would never admit it, Heinz IS a Master Craftsman. In case the grandchildren do not know this, Grandpa Heinz even helped design a ride at Disneyland. He continued with woodworking until he became ill at the end of 2013.

Not only did Heinz build absolutely beautiful things out of wood, he built an enormous family too. Mom and Dad have my sister Karen and I and our spouses; then they have 11 grandchildren: Stephen; Jessica; Kassandra; Seth; Matthew; Michael; David; Katerina; Amanda; Brett; Bonnie. And they also have 5 great grand children: Delilah; Emmy; Aiden; Elliot; Sierra…with a 6th great grandchild on the way. Plus he has several nieces and nephews he is very close with and of course all the kids’ spouses. Dad, with your guidance and with your love, you built a huge family that will miss you terribly and that love you very much.

One of Heinz’s favorite stories he liked to tell was about when he was working on a Mink farm in Canada and he had a terrible toothache. His friends decided that they had to take Heinz to a doctor. To get to town, they had to travel by boat across a gigantic lake. Half way across the lake, the men were hit by terrific storm. Then the engine of their little boat died. While trying to fix the engine, gasoline was spilled and stared a fire on the boat. After much panic, they were able to get the fire out and the boat going again. Heinz said to his friends that he just wanted to go back home because his tooth no longer hurt.

Heinz is an accomplished gardener…if you ever got to eat one of Heinz’s tomatoes, you know exactly what I mean. One of Heinz’s favorite things was fishing - he taught my sister and I how to fish – plus my wife and several of my kids. He not only taught us how….we had to know fishing etiquette; how to clean the fish; and how to safely release fish too! Last summer Heinz went fishing while visiting Kassandra up in Alaska…I know my Dad absolutely loved that!

Simple Angler’s Prayer:

I pray that I may get to fish

Until my dying day.

And when it comes to my last cast,

I then most humbly pray:

When in the Lord’s great landing net

And peacefully asleep

That in His mercy I be judged

Big enough to keep.

Heinz, on behalf of your entire family, we want to thank you from the bottom of our heart for being our husband; father; grandfather; and great grandfather, brother, and uncle…….and wonderful friend, mentor, and teacher.

One of my favorite memories of my father was his teaching my sister and I to ride bikes. We were in a big pavement playground and my Dad kept cutting me off with his bicycle and bumping into me. Frustrated, I finally asked him why he kept doing that. He answered: “Because I want you to be prepared for the unexpected and that I won’t always be with you if something happens…” What an amazing teacher he is….

One of the best ways to remember Heinz is to remember what he taught you. Also remember that OUR Heinz IS an incredible example of how anything is possible even with hardships, if you face life with determination. My Dad has that kind of unfailing determination. Like the Master Craftsman that he is, Heinz built his life totally from scratch….He Is a life well lived! Thank you Dad for everything! We all love you so very much!

impartation from My Father

Karen Berg-Costa

I wanted to tell you all a few things my dad imparted to me as he raised my brother and I. One of them was a strong work ethic, to go above and beyond, to do more than what was asked of you. In his own workmanship, all his wood creations were perfect. I used to marvel how glossy and perfect his finished were on his cabinets, and that they almost looked unreal. I owe my father in part my own success in my nursing career, because of what he taught me.

He shared with us his love for nature, by taking us on road trips from Canada to our neighboring states, always stopping, enjoying the sites and camping. As an example, it was always important to my dad, to leave our camp-site like we had never been there. He was always in awe of nature, and very knowledgeable of the world around him. He showed my brother and I how to respect our surroundings and watch nature at her best.

We spent a lot of time with our pets and cared for them well. Once my dad found a baby squirrel that had fallen out of a palm tree and was in shock. We nursed that squirrel, fed it with a bottle and Dad built a large cage in our dining room window. He then slowly acclimated the squirrel to the outside and then successfully released it to the wild. He and my mom also took my children and I at different times to Europe and imparted to us a love of adventure.

Above all, I want to say my father showed me what unconditional and committed love looks like. As an example, when my Mom became ill a few years ago, he was totally devoted to her and became his full time nurse and I watched her show her love and compassion towards him. I saw them each lay down their lives for the other as Christ laid down His life for us. In John 15:13 it says that “no one has greater love that to lay down his own life for his friends” or in this case your friend who is also your spouse. This is true love.

Because he received Christ as his Lord and Savior I know I will see him again but in the mean time I will miss him very much. I love you Dad.

The last thing my grandfather said to me was “Do your best in everything”. He lived these words to a tee. I’ve never seen anyone do anything half ass in his life. Whether it was work, being a husband, or a father, he never cut corners. He was a great man who lived his life with honor and integrity. He was someone that you couldn’t help but respect and adore. He was also an affectionate husband who even in his last days, when he had trouble standing, would dismiss it to being head over heels for my grandmother. He was my grandfather, who would reward patience with his stash of chocolate in the garage, and had no shortage of jokes or stories. I feel blessed to have been given such and amazing role model.

The last thing I told him was that our Lord Jesus was waiting for him. He passed away that night. Its. Funny how he didn’t know Jesus until his last days when they had so many similarities. They both loved their neighbors, both kind and fair, and both carpenters. I have no doubt that they are currently locked in a discussion over woodworking and history. This world is a little less bright without him in it. I will miss him but I look forward to seeing him again.

Love, Kassandra Berg-Coleman

Let me start off by saying…My Grandpa was awesome! This is a letter to my grandpa, so I hope he is listening up there in heaven.

Dear Grandpa,

I miss you so much. There is no one on this earth that could ever replace you. Thank you for all the memories I have and the adventures we share during our time together. Whether we were camping or hiking, visiting a state park or museum, or even sharing a good hamburger, these are the memories I will never forget. You were there for me during the best of times and the worst of times. You were my father, my teacher, my mentor, and my friend. You were at my wedding, approved of my husband and you welcomed your great grandchildren into this world, with your loving smile. I feel like my life is complete, knowing that you chased me in the yard and twenty years later you chased my children around the same yard. We picked fruit from the trees together, as you did with your great grandchildren. We used to laugh and splash in the pool, and I watched my children do the same with you over two decades later. It is hard to face the fact that you won’t be around anymore to pass on your wisdom and stories of a life well lived. Even though it brought tears to my eyes to kiss you goodbye one final time, it brings joy to my heart knowing that God sent his angels down from heaven to release you from your earthy suffering, and guide you to the heavens above. To sum it all up, thank you grandpa, for everything. We love you.

By Amanda Berg-Rudoph