Obituary:  Lynn Roland Berggren

Lynn Berggren was born Sept. 4, 1950, in Grand Island, to Myron and Margaret (Williams) Berggren.  He grew up with his two sisters and graduated from Grand Island Senior High in 1968.

Lynn attended Kearney State College, where he met wife Jeanne. They graduated in May 1973, married in June, and moved to Broken Bow Sept. 4, 1973.

Lynn was a third generation contractor; together with Jeanne they built Berggren Home Builders. Their business grew from small commercial and general construction to serving a 90 mile radius in central Nebraska for any poured walls and agricultural construction. Many people have played an integral part, including their first employee, Mike Bell, and long-time employee, Randy Nielsen. Son, Patrick and wife Tristan moved to Broken Bow to continue as the fourth generation of Berggren contractors.

Lynn’s passion for the outdoors started at an early age with his father, Myron, and uncle, Oliver.  These passions were continued with his wife, kids, and grandkids; unforgettable memories of weekends at Johnson Lake, countless hunting and fishing excursions, and other outdoor activities. Life was celebrated regularly with 5 p.m. happy hour, family, and friends.

Lynn and Jeanne had three children:  Patrick, Becky and Kevin. Lynn cherished practicing and coaching his kids in basketball throughout their school years, as well as their classmates and peers.  He took great joy in teaching his kids and grandkids how to hunt and fish.

One of his most proud moments was being appointed by Governor Heinman to serve on the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in 2007. He served for two terms representing 21 counties and was commission chairman in 2014.
Lynn was a supporter and advocate for wildlife conservation, habitat management and improving opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. He worked tirelessly to make all the Nebraska outdoors, including public hunting, fishing and other activities, accessible and enjoyable for all ages and was actively involved in educating Nebraska youth about the great outdoors.

He was a cherished member of the Broken Bow community with on-going involvement in many organizations. He was a founding member of Broken Bow Economic Development, former board member of Custer Federal, actively participated in Broken Bow Optimist Club, and had 40 years of involvement in the Nebraska One Box Pheasant Hunt, including serving as a Director.
Lynn Roland Berggren was preceded in death by his parents, Myron and Margaret Berggren; and great uncles, Donald Berggren, Ted Berggren and Oliver Berggren.

He is survived by his wife, Jeanne Berggren of Broken Bow; son, Pat (Tristan) Berggren of Broken Bow; daughter, Becky Berggren of Boston, Mass. son, Kevin Berggren, Montezuma, Iowa; two grandchildren, Katelyn and Kaleb Berggren; sister, Karen (Charlie) Plebanek, of Eureka Springs, Ark.; sister, Ann (Dick) Huffman of Kearney; cousins, Jerry Berggren and James Harrold Berggren; and several nephews and nieces.
Memorials in his honor can be sent to the Nebraska One Box and the Nebraska Game and Parks.

More from Nebraska Game Commission

LINCOLN – -(Ammoland.com)- Lynn Berggren, a Nebraska Game and Parks Commissioner from Broken Bow, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 16 2016. He had represented District 6 (21 counties) on the commission since 2007.

Lynn Berggren of Broken Bow died Tuesday while hunting on the Platte River. He was 65.

Berggren was hunting with his son Kevin at the family blind near Lexington when he collapsed, said Jim Douglas, commission director. He was pronounced dead at the Lexington hospital.

“During his tenure as commissioner, Lynn was an ardent supporter and advocate for wildlife conservation, habitat management, and improving opportunities to enjoy the outdoors,” said Nebraska Game and Parks Director Jim Douglas.

“Lynn served with passion, dedication and was always looking for innovative ways to better serve the public. He will be greatly missed by Nebraska’s citizens and the Game and Parks family.”

Berggren strongly believed that outdoor recreation made life great in Nebraska. He was dedicated to improving Nebraska’s natural resources, ensuring that the state had the best wildlife habitat management practices, and creating fishing access and parks opportunities for all.

Pheasants were one of Berggren’s passions. He initiated efforts for reviving Nebraska’s pheasant populations and played a large role in the commission’s new pheasant planning initiative.

A champion for all outdoor users, Berggren especially welcomed new hunters, anglers and youth. He helped improve facilities and access to fishing across Nebraska, such as a handicap-accessible access improvement project at Johnson Lake in 2015.

Berggren shared his passion for the outdoors with others every chance he got. He heavily promoted all the good things about outdoor recreation, especially family time and memories created through fishing and hunting. He blogged about fishing with his friends and family, pheasant and waterfowl hunting excursions and his love for outdoor recreation, always advocating for people to go enjoy the outdoors and take a kid with them.

Douglas said Berggren was a sincere and genuine person, and a great representative who listened to sportsmen and women and shared their ideas on conservation, hunting and angling at the commission. He was a leader in his community, supporting and maintaining the vibrancy of the Nebraska One Box Pheasant Hunt and many opportunities for youth outdoor recreation.

Berggren was in his final year serving on the commission.

Berggren is survived by his wife, Jeanne; son, Pat and his wife, Tristan; son, Kevin; daughter, Becky; and grandchildren Katelyn and Kaleb.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
2200 North 33rd Street
Lincoln, NE 68503
402.471.0641
www.OutdoorNebraska.org

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is responsible for stewardship of the state’s fish, wildlife, parklands, and outdoor recreation opportunities.

BERGGREN PLAN FOR PHEASANTS

In 2016, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission unveiled a five-year plan aimed at growing Nebraska’s pheasant population and increasing land open to hunting in areas with abundant pheasants. The overall goal is to produce the best pheasant hunting experience for the most hunters. Other goals of this project include:

• Increasing pheasant abundance
• Increasing hunter access to land holding pheasants
• Increasing the pool of potential pheasant hunters
• Managing hunter expectations
• Improving the funding and policy related to the goal of improving pheasant hunting

The plan, named for the late Nebraska Game and Parks Commissioner Lynn Berggren, will consider all manageable aspects of the pheasant hunting experience, with habitat and hunter access – particularly for youth – as project cornerstones. Game and Parks staff and partner organizations will concentrate work where it will be most effective, while fostering strong partnerships with other public entities, private conservation organizations and local communities.