Eleanor Bergene

Eleanor’s services will be livestreamed below at 10 am, Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Eleanor D. (Bentley) Bergene, 94, passed away peacefully on January 4, 2026, at her home under the care of ETHOS Home Hospice.

Eleanor was born on June 8, 1931, in Streator, Illinois, to Earl and Frances (Baldwin) Bentley. She was the eldest of three children and cherished her role as big sister to Earlene (Kudera) and Kenneth.

She attended Streator Township High School, where she enjoyed playing the accordion in music class and beyond. During World War II, Eleanor volunteered at the Streator Railroad Canteen, passing out food and supplies to troops traveling to the European Theatre. She often recalled interacting with the German POWs who were stationed at a military installation near Streator.

Eleanor went on to attend St. Mary’s School of Nursing in LaSalle, Illinois, where she earned her registered nursing degree. During her clinical rotation at Fergus Falls State Hospital, she met her future husband, Connolly A. Bergene. They were married on March 18, 1954, at First Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and later made their home in Fargo, where they shared 67 years of marriage. Throughout her nursing career, she worked at St. Ansgar Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital in the tuberculosis unit, and concluded her service at the Fargo Veterans Medical Center.

In the 1970s, Eleanor traveled to the Holy Land twice with her dear friends Hazel and Bonnie—journeys she treasured throughout her life. She was a member of Messiah Lutheran Church for more than 50 years and was active in a women’s circle and Bible studies.

Eleanor was well known for her famous homemade “Haluska Kapuski Soup,” a traditional dumpling‑and‑cabbage soup she made often and with love. She enjoyed watching MASH*, Keeping Up Appearances, and many other shows that brought her a good chuckle. Eleanor was also creative and crafty, building beautiful flower baskets, calendars, and other handmade items enjoyed by many. She was the master planner and navigator of the family, guiding numerous vacation road trips filled with laughter and memories to last a lifetime. Most of all, she loved her family deeply, and this is how she will be most remembered.

She is survived by her daughter, Connie; her son, Cary; her grandson, Christopher (Erin); her sister, Earlene; sisters‑in‑law Mary Bentley and Margorie Waldham; and her five great‑grandsons, Gabriel, Eli, Jonah, Isaac, and Caleb. She was also a loving “grandma” to four beloved fur babies.

Eleanor was preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Frances Bentley; her husband, Connolly Bergene; her brother, Kenneth Bentley; and her brother‑in‑law, Don Kudera.