Gerald Berger

Gerald George Berger, 75, of Arcadia, died Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll. Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30a.m. on Thursday, July 2, 2026, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Arcadia. The celebrant will be Fr. Terry Roder. Music will be by the St. John’s Choir. Lectors will be Laura Harned and Brenda Berger. Gift Bearers will be Elayna Berger-Walker, Alex Walker and Noah Walker. Eucharistic Minister will be Michael Berger. Casket Bearers will be Matt Berger, Steven Berger, Eric Berger, Andrew Berger, Adam Warner, Brandon Wiese, Nick Berger, and Oliver Stall. Burial will be in St. John’s Cemetery with Military Honors by the Arcadia American Legion. Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll, with a Prayer Service at 7 p.m. Additional visitation will be held from 9:15 a.m. until 10:15 a.m. on Thursday at the church. Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll, and online condolences may be left for Gerald’s family at www.sharpfuneral.com. Gerald was born on June 28th, 1950, to Othmar and Marita (Huegerich) Berger. He attended St. John’s Grade School and then graduated from Kuemper Catholic High School in 1968. After graduating, he enlisted in the Iowa Army National Guard, proudly serving his country from 1969-1975. He had a vast career that spanned decades, starting with Badding Construction during this time. On February 8, 1975, Gerald married Diane Weitl at Sacred Heart Church in Manning. They were married for over 51 years and together they raised four children: Jason, Melissa, Brian and Jeff, on their family farm, north of Arcadia, where countless memories were made. He diligently cared for the farm for 40 years, dedicated to every aspect of harvesting crops to raising livestock and everything in between. Many of his days were sunup to sundown, often with little rest. Even though he had a huge undertaking with caring for the farm and raising a family, he never stopped working construction and never passed up an opportunity to assist in various projects, as well. Whether the job was big or small, you could always count on him to be there to help. In his free time, he loved being around family, going fishing, and driving around the lake. Gerald took an immense amount of pride in the restoration of his father’s antique tractor, a Farmall Super H, and rode it in multiple tractor rides across the area. He loved tractor rides, IH tractors, classic car shows and western tv shows, specifically Gunsmoke. You could always find him hilariously quoting episodes in the family room. He was also a proud member of the Arcadia Legion and the Arcadia Legion Honor Guard. Gerald will always be remembered for how he could make people laugh. He would always have a joke or phrase that made everyone smile. He was the best Papa, too. He loved to watch his grandson Alex play baseball and never missed a game the first two years. He always loved to see his grandkids, play with them, and share his beloved popcorn, too. He truly did cherish the small things, because to him, they were the big things. He is very deeply loved and will be so dearly missed. He is survived by his wife Diane Berger of Arcadia, IA; his daughter Melissa Berger (Lonnie Walker) of Carroll IA; son Brian Berger (Angelica Brager) of Ankeny, IA; son Jeff Berger (Jackie Franklin) of Germany; and his beloved grandchildren: Elayna, Alexander, Lily, Noah and Finnley; his siblings: Melvin (Laurie) Berger of Westside, IA; Michael (Linda) Berger of Arcadia, IA; Jolene Berger of Mesa, AZ; Dale (Jolene) Berger of Arcadia, IA; Barbara (Kevin) Warner of Carroll, IA; Karen Berger of Arcadia, IA, and Jane Berger (Max Stall) of Lytton, IA. He was preceded in death by his son Jason, parents Othmar and Marita, his brother John Berger, and sister Marlene Origer.

Gerald Berger

June 28, 1950 - June 23, 2026