Etta Mae (Harris) Bergantzel, 90

Etta Mae (Harris) Bergantzel, 90, was born November 14, 1926, in Crescent, Iowa, to Russell & Lillie (Wager) Harris. She was baptized & confirmed in the Lutheran Church. Etta attended Thomas Jefferson High School, Council Bluffs, Iowa. She was the editor of the school newspaper her senior year, “The Signal," graduating in June 1944.

Charles Roman Bergantzel & Etta Mae were married June 1, 1950, at Timothy Lutheran Church in Council Bluffs and became an instant mother to Daniel Joseph, who was three. Two other children were born to this union: Lloyd Russell and Diane Lynn. The family lived in Wolbach, Nebraska & Hampton, Nebraska, before returning to Council Bluffs. Although they later divorced, they remained lifelong friends.

Etta was employed by the City of Council Bluffs working in the Treasurer's Office and Purchasing Department, retiring in 1985. Etta then moved to Wolbach, and later, Scotia. She was employed doing homecare for elderly clients until she was 70.

In 1996, Etta moved to Blair, Nebraska, and worked for Dakota Direct as an insurance agent until 1999, then other telemarketing companies, working 50 – 70 hours a week. Etta retired in October 2004 at age of 78 after an illness and moved into Good Shepherd Lutheran Community, where she lived until November 2016, moving then to her granddaughter’s home in Phoenix, Arizona, where she passed away February 9, 2017.

Etta loved spending time with her family and was known as "GG" to her great-grandchildren, bringing her great joy. Etta had many friends during her life and was avid bingo and card player.

She is survived by brother, Bill Harris, Fremont, Nebraska; children: Diane (Kenneth) Hansen, Blair/Apalachicola, Florida; Lloyd (Shelley) Bergantzel, Glenwood, Iowa; Dan (friend, Robin Wrich) Bergantzel, Blair; daughter-in-law Cindy Bergantzel, Council Bluffs; grandchildren: Kristopher (Diane) Orr, Blair; Kari (James) Tobin; Kelli (Jacob) Peterson, Herman, Nebraska; Kim (Marci) Bergantzel, Council Bluffs; Charlotte (Cheri) Bergantzel, Ft. Wayne, Indiana; David Bergantzel, Camden, New Jersey; great-grandchildren: Josiah, Brooklyn, Aiden, and Jaxson Tobin; Benjamin and Amelia Peterson, Herman; Cade and Lani Bergantzel, Council Bluffs.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Don (Norma) Harris; sister-in-law, Vera Harris; infant sisters, Shirley and Dorothy Harris; Charles Bergantzel and daughter-in-law, Mildred “Midge" Bergantzel.

A Celebration of Life will be held on June 1 at 10 a.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Community Chapel in Blair. Burial will be in Crescent Cemetery later.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~