Ruth M. Berger, age 85, passed away September 2, 2025, at The Groves Assisted Living facility in Goodyear, Arizona. She was born on July 9, 1940, in Luverne, North Dakota, a daughter of Hans and Dagny Jorgensen.

Ruth married Edward Berger in 1958 and lived on the family farm near Pillsbury, North Dakota until his passing in 1986. She then moved to Valley City, North Dakota where she worked in food service for 23 years at Washington Elementary School until her retirement in 2003.

Ruth was active at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church and following retirement, volunteered at the Nearly-Nu store for many years. She was an avid gardener and loved growing her Coleus, Peonies and Roses. She also developed a love of traveling as she traveled with her children to Hawaii, Arizona, Washington, Minnesota and many countries in Europe.

Ruth is survived by her six children, Thomas Berger (Mark Hoover) – Tucson, Arizona, Timothy Berger (Kelli) – Sequim, Washington, Ronald Berger (Nancy) – Langley, Washington, Mary Dutt (Todd) – Goodyear, Arizona, Daniel Berger (Kathy) – Surprise, Arizona, and Amy Flieth (Douglas) – Waconia, Minnesota; 10 grandchildren, three great granddaughters, and numerous nieces and nephews, brother Alvin Jorgensen and sister Beverly McAllister.

Ruth was preceded in death by her husband Edward Berger, her parents Hans and Dagny Jorgensen, brothers Jens Jorgensen, Frank Jorgensen, Raymond Jorgensen, Kenneth Jorgensen, sisters Myrtle Madsen, and Rosemary Senn.

Funeral service will be held at 10:00am on Thursday, September 18 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church near Dazey, North Dakota. There will be a prayer vigil the evening prior (September 17) at Lerud Mathias Funeral Home in Valley City, North Dakota at 7:00pm.  The services will be live streamed, then archived, on a link provided along with her obituary on her tribute page at www.lerudmathias.com.  An online guestbook is available there as well.  Our live streaming is Wi-Fi dependent, if the signal is weak, the stream may buffer.  If there are difficulties viewing the live service, rest assured we are recording as well, and it will be uploaded later in the day.