Byron A. Berg, age 98, of Pigeon Falls, Wisconsin died Thursday, February 4, 2016 at the Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire.

Byron was born on June 15, 1917 on the home farm in the Town of Hale to Benoni and Bergina (Udahl) Berg. Following graduation from Whitehall Memorial High School, he attended Gale College and LaCrosse Business College. He married Phyllis Solboe January 1, 1945 in Pigeon Falls.

Following college, he worked for the United States Post Office in St Paul, MN and told the story of delivering mail during the Armistice Day storm of November 1940. He returned to the family dairy farm during WWII to help the war effort with food production.

Byron and Phyllis were true partners in running the family farm in the Huskelhus community for over 70 years. As a farmer he was an early adopter of conservation practices believing in caring for the land. For many years he provided threshing and corn chopping for the neighborhood farmers enjoying the camaraderie of farmers working together. Byron spent many hours in the barn milking cows singing along with the radio and showing his secret fondness for kittens, feeding them directly from the cow. We learned many life lessons working alongside our Dad on the farm.

Being an active leader in his community was very important to Byron. He served on the Huskelhus school board for many years, served on the Pigeon Falls Cooperative Creamery board as secretary/treasurer for 21 years, and served as a director of Tri State Breeders Cooperative for 10 years. He was a member of Wisconsin Farmers Union his entire career and served as president of the Pigeon Falls local and Trempealeau county organizations.

Byron's strong Christian faith guided him through life. He was a lifelong member of Peace Lutheran Church of Pigeon Falls, serving multiple terms on the church council and singing in the choir.

Proud of his Norwegian heritage, Byron always enjoyed a good conversation in Norwegian. He was active in the Trygvason Lodge of Sons of Norway, serving as treasurer and he received the Golden Membership service recognition in 2014. Singing with the Sons of Norway chorus at Syttende Mai events and parades was a highlight.

Sports were a favorite pastime throughout his life. Ski jumping with buddies on the local jumps like the Mattison farm hill was a common activity on weekends. He was the scorekeeper for the Pigeon Falls Baseball team in the 1930's, following them to each game. Bowling was his preferred personal sport and he was a member of a league in Whitehall for many years. Byron was a dedicated Packers, Badgers, Braves/Brewers fan – watching or listening to every game. Attending his grandchildren's and great- grandchildren's sporting events was a priority.

Music was a staple in Byron's life. He played the French horn in the high school and Pigeon Falls Community bands and was a member of a vocal quartet with his Huskelhus neighborhood friends. He encouraged all his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to pursue their musical interests attending their many concerts throughout the years. In the last few years he re-established his vocal career. Musical groups performing at PFHCC would hand him the microphone to help lead the singing. He always knew all the words and was right on pitch.

Playing whist was a lifelong pastime. Byron and Phyllis enjoyed belonging to the local card club with friends and neighbors and vying for the winners table. He continued playing competitively at PFHCC as often as possible. The PFHCC newspaper frequently reported "Byron Berg and partner won again". He always looked forward to a good game with friends and family.

Memorial contributions may be designated to Peace Lutheran Church of Pigeon Falls to support the mission work of the church.

Byron is survived by four children. John (Iva) Berg of Pigeon Falls, Mary Hafstead of Bloomington, MN, Kirsten (Scott) Anderson of Minneapolis, MN, and Steven Berg of Pigeon Falls; eight grandchildren, Andrea (Bill) Vencl, Andy (Kim) Berg, Marc (Ashley) Hafstead, Craig Hafstead, Samuel Anderson, Amelia Bauer, Tessa Bauer and Madeline Berg; five great-grandchildren, Jake, Kalina and Tommy Berg, Abigail and Hannah Vencl.

In addition to his parents, Byron was preceded in death by his wife, Phyllis Solboe Berg, his sister Sylvia Berg Amundson, and his son-in-law, Christian Hafstead.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, February 10, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. in Peace Lutheran of Pigeon Falls with burial in the Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery both in Pigeon Falls. Pastors Roger Benrud and Mary Ann Bowman will officiate.

Visitation will be Tuesday, February 9, 2016 from 5-7 p.m. in the Jack Funeral Home in Whitehall and also one hour prior to the service at the church on Wednesday.