Ambrose Beringer, 88, formerly of rural Bluffton, Minn., died March 5, 2002, at the Shady Lane Nursing Home in Wadena, Minn. Mr. Beringer was born Feb. 10, 1914, to Martin and Regina (Silbemagel) Beringer in Blabon, N.D. He married Hildegard Wegscheid June 14, 1938, and was re-married to Irene Goraczkowski Dec. 30, 1972. Mr. Bemnger enjoyed flowers and gardening.

Funeral services were held March 8 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Bluffton, with the Rev. Kevin Schwartz officiating. Pallbearers were Ken Altstadt, Dewey Altstadt, Jay Petersen, Mike Kemper, Tammy Wanous and Dawn Beringer. Interment was in the church cemetery, with Johnson Memorial Home of Wadena in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Beringer is survived by his wife, Irene, of Wadena; sons John (Anita) of Deer Creek, Minn., Tony of Wilmar and Fran (Lisa) of Maple Grove, Minn.; daughters Barbara (Chuck) Morrison of Detroit Lakes, Minn., Mary (Jerome) Petersen of Merrifield, Minn., Rosie (John) Altstadt of Perham, Minn., and Alice (Harvey) Kemper of Dassel, Minn.; stepchildren Joseph (Madelain) Goraczkoswki of Wadena, Darlene Kincade of Wadena, LaVonne (Doug) Evans of Wadena and Janet (Larry) Mickelson of West Fargo, N.D.; sisters Lorene (Len) Wegscheid of Perham, Luella Wegscheid of Blufflon, Kay Wegscheid of Wadena and Sr. Mary Martin of Duluth, Minn.; 18 grundchildren, 37 great-grandchildren, 20 step-grandchildren and 33 step-great-grandchildren. He is preceded in dciiili by his parents, his wife Hildegard on Sept. 21,1958, sons Michael and Joseph and a stepson, Roger.

Hildegard was born in 1914 and was married, to Ambrose Beringer on June 14, 1938. They lived on a farm north of Bluffton, then by Perham before buying the farm they lived on west of Bluffton on Highway 10. That farm is where their 9 children grew up. Hildegard loved children. Unfortunately she died from bone cancer when she was only 43 years old, before she had an opportunity to see her children become adults or know any of her 18 grandchildren or 38 great-grand-children.

There are many things that I don’t know about Mom, but over the years I have heard from people that she was a kind and caring person. I remember her laughing and enjoying life. She was devout and made prayer an important part of our daily life. I believe that her faith was the thing that helped her get through her leg amputations, her physical pain and the emotional stress she must have suffered knowing that she was dying and leaving her husband of 20 years with 9 children to raise.

Hildegard enjoyed gardening, cooking and canning - all the domestic things. When she was no longer able to walk in the garden, she would push herself along in a wagon to pull the weeds or harvest the produce.

Kids are so busy being kids, being focused on themselves and being cared for, that they really don’t begin to know their parents until they themselves are adults. We never had that opportunity to know Mom and I feel that an entire portion of our lives is missing.

Mary