Harold Berdan

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New Ulm - Harold Berdan, 94, of New Ulm, died Monday, July 7, 2008 at the Oak Hills Living Center in New Ulm.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 1:30 p.m., Friday, July 11, 2008 at the St. Mary's Catholic Church in New Ulm with Father Germain Rademacher celebrating the Mass. Burial will follow in the New Ulm Catholic Cemetery.

Visitation will be 4 - 7 p.m. Thursday and will continue from 7:30 a.m. until 1 p.m on Friday at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home in New Ulm. There will be a rosary by the St. Mary's Catholic Aid Society at 5:30 p.m. and a parish prayer service at 6:30 p.m. both Thursday at the funeral home.

Harold is survived by nieces and nephews, Arnie & Arlene Berdan of Winthrop, Randy & Joan Berdan of New Ulm, Leon & Shirley Berdan of New Ulm, Wallace & Shirley Wendinger of New Ulm, Jerry & Julie Wendinger of New Ulm, Rita & Norm Olson of Gibbon, Arlene & Sylvester Gerardy of Fairfax, Marion Pettersen of Madelia; and by extended family members, Peter & Dodie Wendinger of St. George & their family and Paul & Joleen Wendinger of St. George & their family.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Florence; a twin brother, Clarence; a brother, Victor, and by sisters, Laura Traurig and Florence Wendinger; sisters-in-law and brother-in-law, Ella Berdan of New Ulm and Laura and Edwin Kral of rural Klossner.

Harold Walter Berdan, son of Joseph and Sarah (Huber) Berdan was born on December 24, 1913 in Lafayette Township, Nicollet County. He was united in marriage to Florence Altmann on November 18, 1947 in New Ulm. After marriage they lived in New Ulm where he worked as a mechanic for the Retzlaff Motor Company. In the early '60s Harold started working with the City of New Ulm in the Park & Rec Department taking care of all the ball fields in the city. He worked there until retirement.

Harold loved to travel out to Father Rademacher's country home. He also loved to be the "gopher" for the Wendinger farming operation and had been on over 65 tours with Wendinger Travel.

He was a member of the St. Mary's Catholic Church in New Ulm, a life member of Turner Halle, a life member of the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame where he was to receive this November the Life Time Achievement Award, and a member of the Catholic Aid Society in New Ulm.

In lieu of flowers the family prefers memorials to the St. Mary's Catholic Church, the Turner Halle Restoration Project or to the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.