Leslie Howard (Les) Bergh |
| Posted 2016-12-04 by Sharla |
| The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, Arizona Tuesday, November 29, 2016 Leslie Howard Bergh was born Aug. 18, 1944 and passed on June 12, 2016. When Les Bergh departed for his eternal home on June 12, of a massive stroke, he left one beloved wife, Mindy; one cat, Sophie; and eight little Indians (brothers and sisters, Joe, Orris, Ray, Larry, Joy, Jan, Audrey and Jim) all of whom he dearly loved. Numerous nieces and nephews and family members and friends are left to wonder who is going to entertain them now. Les was born on the Turtle Mountain Indian reservation in Trenton, N.D., in 1944. His mother, Selina Falcon, was Chippewa, and his father, Orris Bergh, was Norwegian. Both parents preceded him in death as well as one sister, Doris. There were 10 little Indians who didn’t exactly live on “easy street.” Often faced with discrimination, it instilled in him a desire to succeed at whatever he chose to do. Fiercely proud with many accomplishments, Les was one unique man who never played it safe and always went for it. He often said, if you weren’t working hard, you were “burnin’ daylight!” A natural leader and type A personality, he was outgoing, ambitious, hard -working, gregarious, charismatic and generous. Les wanted the people and family around him to share in his successes and quietly helped those who needed a hand up. The word “can’t” was not a word in his vocabulary. Les started working on oil rigs out of high school and went to Casper College for a petroleum engineering degree. He worked as a field engineer for Dresser Industries (Halliburton), a drilling fluids company in Australia and New Zealand and became regional manager of the South Pacific at the young age of 25. He continued as a manager in Jakarta, Indonesia and West Africa in Lagos, Nigeria. With those successes behind him, in 1978 he decided to start his own company, Fluids Control, along with brothers Joe and Ray in Evanston, Wyo. As if there were 48 hours in one day, they also founded “Billy’s a Country Music Emporium” a country western bar that hosted acts such as Hank Williams, Jr., George Strait, Merle Haggard and Charlie Pride. Les and Ray then turned their attention toward Round Valley Golf Course in 1997 in Morgan, Utah. Starting as a nine-hole course, the brothers added an additional 18 holes. Along with building the course, there was the epic fireworks on Fourth of July and weekend barbeques. And don’t forget the countless hours around a campfire, telling “The Cremation of Sam McGee” or the story of Flipper and Dipper and wearing chicken track golf pants. And what about those magic tricks. Are you getting the impression he loved to be the center of attention? His latest and ongoing project was getting a diesel refinery built in Trenton, N.D. Along with his cousin Mel Falcon, they formed Northwest Refining, working tirelessly getting partners and funding. He was terrifically funny. Les had a matchless wit for any situation and you left his presence with a lighter spirit. A descriptive and beloved story teller, he was able to command anyone’s attention. You could be sure 50 percent of every story was true; you just never knew what 50 percent. He left us with a smile on his face and a joke on his lips. Les was a patriot and loved his country. He worked the LA Times Sunday crossword in ink, and thought extreme Sudoku was nothing. He never complained and never forgot a name. He loved golf and ATVing, his desert home in Arizona, beautiful Round Valley in Utah and black and white cats. He was a man of faith confirmed and married in the Lutheran church. He believed in the power and strength of Jesus Christ’s love and the peace that would await him after passing. Thanks for the love and laughter. You lived one great big life! When you think of Les, please smile and pay it forward! A celebration of his life will be held at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 450 Rose Lane in Wickenburg, on Dec. 4 at 1 p.m. Please don’t wear black and act somber. Be prepared to cut up and have a good time! |
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