Roderick Harry Bergstrom, 94

February 23, 2023

Roderick Harry Bergstrom, 94, passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 23, 2023 at Luthercare in Lititz where he had resided with his wife Lorraine since 2006.

Born on a farm in Lander, Pennsylvania (Warren County) on May 28, 1928, he was the son of the late Harry G. Bergstrom and the late Ellen Ellison Bergstrom and was preceded in death by two brothers: John W. Bergstrom (Joan Lindahl) of State College, PA, and Marvin A. Bergstrom (Bernadette Mineweaser) of Lander, PA.

Surviving Rod is his wife of sixty-six years Lorraine and children Eric (Linda McGinnis), Karen Beyer (Jay), Mark (Amy Keller), Lisa Russell (Robin), and Steven (Tonya Lombardo), nine grandchildren—Michael Bergstrom (Kasey), Matthew Bergstrom, Valerie Tully (Patrick), Kimberly Beyer, Nicole Russell, Daniel Russell (Kristina), David Russell, Wellington Bergstrom and Toby Bergstrom, and four great-grandchildren—Anakin Tully, Oliver Tully, Jack Bergstrom and Henry Bergstrom.

He graduated from Lander High School in 1946 and from the Pennsylvania State University with a BS in Agricultural Engineering in 1951. While at Penn State and during the period of 1947 to 1950, he was in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. In April 1956 he married Lorraine Louise Ehrenfried of Lancaster, PA. They lived for three years in Lancaster, forty-five years in Leola, and the remaining of his years at Luther Acres in Lititz.

After graduation from Penn State, he was employed as a manufacturing engineer by the former New Holland Machine Company / Sperry New Holland and later as service parts engineer and a product development engineer in the same company. He retired in 1991 after forty years of service.

Throughout his life, Rod devoted endless hours of dedication to his family and serving in his community. Rod served as a Boy Scout Troop 54 committee member, committee chairperson, a scoutmaster, a scoutmaster at Philmont, a district commissioner for the Boy Scouts Eastern District; a board member of the Upper Leacock Township War Memorial Association; a Judge of Elections in Upper Leacock Township; a time keeper and judge for summer and winter swim meets; a Loaned Executive for the United Way; a collection counter for the Catholic Church, and a volunteer at the Luther Acres residence store. Throughout his life, Rod owned and developed woodland in Lander, PA and was involved in woodland management and maple sugaring. He was recognized by Pennsylvania’s Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program with the VIP award in February 1992. On this property he built a cabin and a sugaring building and each year he made improvements to the property including planting trees and select timbering.

Other than forestry and sugaring, his interests included photography, gardening, wine making, walking / hiking, traveling, and genealogy.

A celebration of Rod’s life will take place at the Community Room at Luther Acres on Saturday, March 11 from 12:30 to 3:30 with comments made by Fr. Dan Powell, Pastor, St. John Neumann Catholic Church at 1:00PM. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the James C. Finley Center for Private Forests Endowment Fund. Penn State University, memo line XCAPF. Mail to: Penn State, 2583 Gateway Drive, Suite 130, State College PA, 16802.