Hollis (Holly) Ann Bergeron, 68 , of Laveen, Arizona entered into heaven on February 24, 2021. Holly was born in Tucson, Az. on May 4, 1952, the only child born to Robert and Ruth Ann (Mullen) Miller.
At the age of 3 Holly and her mom moved from Tucson to Miami, Ohio. They lived there about 5 years and then moved back to Arizona settling in Phoenix.
Holly grew up in Phoenix and attended school at Central High School graduating in 1970. Her first job was at Good Samaritan Hospital working part time in the file room. While working there she earned her degree in nursing and worked at Good Sam as a nurse for 35 years. She then decided to change career paths and went to work for Hospice of the Valley as a home care nurse. There she found a home and often commented that she wished she had made the move years before. She said it was very fulfilling to care for her patients and their families. She worked there for about 10 years until she retired in 2015.
Growing up she always enjoyed spending time with Chris, her cousin. As an only child she loved having her cousins along with her aunts and uncles coming to visit. Her grandfather was the one who taught her to drive and became her best friend.
Holly married and had a baby girl named Michelle. In 1970 she became a single mom raising her daughter on her own. She did an amazing job as Michelle now has a family of her own and is a 1st grade school teacher.
Holly was very close to her mother and her grandparents. She and her mom moved in with her grandparents to help care for them. At a young age they taught her to play cards, especially different kinds of poker. As she grew her love for cards grew and she shared that with her family. It became a family tradition.
After being friends for many years, Holly and Don’s friendship turned into love and they were married on February 22, 1992. Don had 2 sons of his own that he brought to the family.
Holly was very supportive of veterans causes. She was the President of the American Legion Auxiliary unit for 3 years and continued to be active after her term of office. She participated in American Legion affairs along with her husband Don as he was also active in veterans affairs.
Holly loved the ocean, Through the years she spent many weekends at Rocky Point, Mex. She loved just sitting on the beach enjoying the sun and the waves. She collected crosses and thimbles, and her favorite flower was the snap dragon. Then Holly and her husband Don bought a lake house in Ottertail, Mn. Her most enjoyable day was sitting in the sunroom with her best friend Momma, overlooking Lake Donald and watching the boats and the sun sets while sipping on a martini. Momma was a little dog found in her back yard years before and had become her nearly constant companion.
She read her bible daily and loved to work cross word puzzles and Sudoku. But most of all she lived for her husband, children and grandchildren. She will be lovingly remembered for her laugh, her sense of humor, and her zeal for life.
Holly leaves behind the love of her life and husband of 29 years, Don Bergeron; her children Michelle (Michael) Abretske, Chad (Becky) Bergeron, and Shane (Chris) Bergeron; grandchildren Sal, Mary-Kate (Andrew), Logan (Alyssa), Presley, Morgan, Gage, and Zackary; and her little dog "Momma".
Holly has her parents Robert and Ruth Ann Miller, and her grandparents, Preston and Viola Mullen, waiting for her in heaven.
Services will be held on Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 10am at Chapel of the Chimes Mortuary in Glendale, Arizona.
Please see www.chapelofthechimesmortuary.com for full service information.
In lieu of flowers please make a donation in her name to Hospice of the Valley.
We are putting together a Book of Life to honor your memories of Holly. This can be done by submitting your photos and stories on just about any type of media to www.chapelofthechimesmortuary.com . When you get the website select "Add a Memory". Email is also available at [email protected] . You can also text information to Michele Bailey at 602-332-5120.
When submitting photos please include an explanation of why this photo is special to you. That allows everyone to enjoy your communication.
Please have your submissions in to the Chapel of the Chimes no later than March 9 to be included in the service. Memories to be included only in the Book of Life and not for the Celebration of Life, can still be submitted up until April 1st.
We will also be creating a collage of memorabilia to celebrate her so if you have anything that is special to you because of Holly please bring it to the service and it will be included in the display.
The family appreciates all the prayers, love and support we have received from all of you and we hope to see you at her Celebration of Life.
For those of you who cannot attend in person you will be able to view the service via a Facebook Live Stream link provided on the Chapel of the Chimes website listed above.
Sincerely,
Holly's Family
P.S. Please advise us if you plan to attend so we can plan accordingly. Thanks.
The following is written by Holly's husband.
Ode to Holly (Miller) Bergeron
May 4, 1952 – February 24, 2021
In May of ‘52 the Miller house was in a whirl
Because of the arrival of a beautiful baby girl.
Ruth and Bob were really just filled with joy
(And personally I’m sure glad that it wasn’t a boy.)
So they adjusted their lives to raising a little girl
At times they wondered what had happened to their world.
I’m sure they had doubts as all parents do
Like what in the world did we get ourselves into.
They named her Hollis, it was her godfather’s name
She once told me her grandfather was partly to blame.
But the name was soon shortened to something more jolly
Everyone who knew her just called her Holly.
As fate would have it she was raised by a single mom
So they moved to Ohio where they were originally from.
As Holly got older she developed asthma, couldn’t breath
So it was back to Arizona, from Ohio they did leave.
Back in Arizona they soon settled down
Not back in Tucson but north in Phoenix town.
Ruth got a job working for Dr. Nevin
And liked it so much it seemed like a slice of heaven.
Holly was a happy child, a bit shy and very sweet
And always had a smile for anyone she would meet.
She had a good childhood, did well in school
And tried her best to keep the golden rule.
She married young and had a daughter, named her Michelle,
And at raising that daughter she did very well.
It is no easy task raising a child on your own
But she was determined to do it and not grumble or groan.
She got a job working at Good Sam as a clerk
She went to school at the same time to become a nurse.
When she got her degree she stayed working there
Going from clerk to nurse and giving great care.
Anyone would tell you after watching her work
She was an excellent nurse, much better than as a clerk.
Her chosen profession was a perfect fit
She loved caring for people and was very good at it.
But work wasn’t all that filled up her days
She filled out her life in various ways.
She liked parties with friends and going out on dates
She loved swimming and skiing and staying up late.
She loved playing cards, poker was the best
Games and puzzles she attached with a zest.
But her favorite thing of all was laying on the beach
However living in Arizona that was often out of reach.
Life moved on, Michelle grew up and moved away
So Holly found other ways to fill up her day.
She had hobbies but mostly she loved to read books
Love stories, war stories, even mysteries about crooks.
I met her through church, St. Vincent de Paul
At some youth function being held in the church hall.
A friendship began that would last 10 years
Then as fate would have it, we both switched gears.
Friendship turned to love, love into marriage
How lucky could I be, she had a beautiful carriage.
I went from being single and raising my boys
To having a beautiful wife to share in my joys.
And what more can a man ask while being a father
Holly brought along with her a beautiful daughter.
We all got together, a new family was made
Working together new life plans were laid.
Our house was too small for the new family to fit
So we went shopping and found one west of it.
A two story house, lots of room to share,
With family or friends, with whoever was there.
A New Year’s Eve celebration was planned for that year
We invited friends and family over to cheer
In the new year with gusto and delight
A good time was had by all, nearly all through the night.
She made me wonder what was in her mind
When she passed out confetti of every color and kind.
When we moved out of the house about 4 years later
We were still finding confetti in every nook and crater.
We went to Milwaukee for a Harley celebration
Put 5000 miles on while crossing the nation.
She thought that was fun so she wanted her own bike
So I told her, “Go take riding lessons if you like.”
I bought her a Yamaha, a good bike for a start
But on her maiden ride things fell apart.
The result was a broken leg and lots of road rash
It was caused by a guard rail into which she did crash.
On to another house, much smaller this time
Next door to some very good friends of mine.
We had horses to ride and steers to raise
We fed them all hay and also let them graze.
The steers had names, Orville and Boo-boo,
Come time to butcher she said “What are you going to do?
You named them, their pets how can you be so mean?”
But once in the freezer the meat was tasty and lean.
The horses were named Beau and Sir Chance-A-Lot
Rough riding beasts when they got into a trot.
Three dogs and a cat rounded out our zoo
With animals and a house there’s always things to do.
Fast forward a few years and now grandkids are here
The house was so small there was always the fear
That the family wouldn’t fit during the holidays
So it was off to find another one with a lot more space.
And find one we did that really met our needs
Space to handle everyone during the family feeds.
A garage out back to fit all the toys
To be enjoyed by all of the girls and boys.
The first weekend of December was the best of the year,
We’d pick up all the grandkids and bring them out here.
To decorate our tree, (when they were little it was a sight)
And then they would all get to stay overnight.
Holly loved the ocean so on 3 cruises we went
We both decided that was money well spent.
Went to Puerta Vallarta with my brother and his wife
She got to lay on the beach, the greatest joy of her life.
We went parasailing, I never thought that she’d go
But the driver was good and started her out low.
When she landed she came back with a grin
Realizing just how high in the air she had been.
I took her to New York for her birthday to make merry
I even took her for a ride on the Staten Island ferry.
Although we were only there for a pretty short trip
We didn’t waste a minute, we made the most of it.
We saw 2 Broadway plays while we were there,
We spent a lot of time walking around Time Square.
To Macy’s we went, walked through all nine floors,
It’s easy to get lost in such a gigantic store.
To New Orleans for Mardi Gras, oh what a treat.
Vacations like this are really hard to beat.
New England in the fall to see the turning of the leaves
Wet and rainy in Boston, I thought we would freeze.
Went down to Florida to visit my brother
Went SCUBA diving in the keys, sights like no other.
Airboat trip through the Everglades later
She even got to hold an alligator.
She finally retired about six years ago,
To spend time with her mom who was moving pretty slow.
She treasured that time caring for her mom
Knowing time was short before she would be gone.
So now it was time to spend time on the road
In our motor home we went with a car that we towed.
We travelled the Midwest and saw Noah’s Ark
Then down to Indianapolis to a beautiful RV park.
We were there for a week going to a Legion convention.
We saw too many things to list or even mention.
Then off to North Dakota to see the sights the next day
And stop to visit family and friends along the way.
But the Good Lord decided to throw a bump in our road
When her symptoms first started we thought it was a cold.
It was much more serious we found out instead
It was pulmonary fibrosis that raised its ugly head.
Getting a lung transplant isn’t all laughter and games
But one person’s loss can be another person’s gain.
The transplant was successful but recovery was slow
From the start we knew it would be a tough row to hoe.
One families grief, they shed all of their tears
For Holly and me it meant four more years.
Four more years for her to spend in this life
And for me to share them with my beautiful wife.
Recover she did and was soon her old self
We put the oxygen machine up on the shelf.
We determined to use wisely this gift that God gave us
And not abuse it but care for it like a sacred trust.
We spent time in Minnesota with family and friends
And enjoyed it so much we did it again and again.
Then 2 years ago we found a house that we liked,
Right on Lake Donald where we often biked.
So we bought the house and sold the motor home
We really enjoyed making that house our own.
Going to auction sales and antique shops
Getting furniture and stools, even brooms and mops.
Holly had all kinds of pots blooming with flowers
On a beautiful day she could spend hours
Trimming and pruning, or just staring in awe
Through the windows of our sun room at the beauty she saw.
On clear Wednesday evenings we always had fun
Getting together with friends for a motorcycle run.
To a neighboring town with a small greasy spoon
And then the ride home under a beautiful moon.
Her favorite place in the house was in her big chair,
With Momma beside her keeping her company there.
A martini in hand and the lake out the window
When I looked at her there she just seemed to glow.
She wanted to stay and see the first snowfall
A foot fell in October, early in the fall.
She sat at the window, her eyes all aglow
She was getting her wish to see the first snow.
But on her first walk she did shed a tear
When she slipped on the ice and fell on her rear.
In the next two days she got pretty sore
Because during our walks she fell twice more.
Through all the pain she still managed to smile
And dwell on the good times, then after a while
Those pains went away and a new day would start
And she would dive into it with a happy heart.
Then back to Arizona for Thanksgiving day
And good times with the family after being away.
A bump over Christmas, in the hospital for a while
Doing Christmas on New Year’s brought back her smile.
Holly cared for other people and spent a lot of time
Working on Veteran’s causes while keeping in mind
The sacrifices they had made keeping our country free
And keeping it safe for all of you and me.
For Holly her family always came first
If she hadn’t seen them in a while, those times were her worst.
When we left for the summers her feelings were mixed
Somehow she wanted to get a “grandkid fix”.
So now God has called her to sit by His side
Maybe He will give her another motorcycle ride
And this time she will keep it up off of the ground
So then she can have it for a second go-around.
From her spot in heaven I hope she can see
The impact she’s had on all God’s family.
Wife and mother, grandmother and friend
Counselor and teacher, all these things she has been.
And now we are here to celebrate her life
This beautiful woman, my own lovely wife.
She joins the chosen few who can truthfully say
“The world is a better place because I passed this way.”
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