“You are an angel in the shape of my mom… and when God takes you back, He’ll say Hallelujah, you’re home.”

Although these are lyrics to a song, they capture the essence of how our beloved mom, grandma, great-grandma, and friend, Colleen Bergeson, lived, and who drifted peacefully into rest in the early hours of October 6th at the age of 90. Whenever Mom was asked what made her happiest in this life, her answer was always having her family around her. And surrounded she was -- throughout her life and especially in her final hours. She was loved beyond measure.

Anyone who knows our mom, knows that her love was completely unconditional. That love wasn’t just reserved for her family – it extended to everyone she met. She never judged a soul. Without exception, she welcomed people from all walks of life into her home and into her heart. Although she faced her share of challenges and life didn’t always go the way she planned or deserved, Mom met every trial with remarkable grace, integrity, and faith. She never wavered in her devotion to her Savior, or her faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. She never wavered in that faith through all her trials. She was a life-long and faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints, and served in many callings throughout her life.

Professionally, Mom devoted her life to teaching the third grade. Her legacy lives on through the hundreds of former students who have stayed in touch long after leaving her classroom -- a testament to the thousands of children whose lives she helped shape for the better. And if you know any avid Lord of the Rings fan, you might want to ask if they were ever once in Mrs. Bergeson’s class. Every single year, without fail, she would read the The Hobbit out-loud to her students. Decades later when the movies made their way to the theaters, many of those former students reached out to ask her how those early characters fit into the bigger story. Mom would spend every holiday season watching a full Lord of the Rings movie marathon. And for those who remember her read-alouds in school, that special copy of The Hobbit has been lovingly passed on to one of her grandchildren and will be on display at her funeral service.

A glorious and well-deserved reunion is taking place on the other side of the veil. Mom was undoubtedly met with loving, open arms by her son, Tom, her parents, Archa and Leona King, and her five sisters and one brother, who all passed before her. And we like to think the legendary coach, Lavell Edwards, was right there in the crowd, thanking her for her unwavering dedication to BYU football. Beginning in 1990, Mom was a proud season ticket holder for over three decades, cheering on her Cougars until her body just couldn’t make the trip any longer. Though Mom was known for never speaking a harsh or unkind word to anyone – no matter how much us kids tested her patience -- heaven help anyone who dared speak ill of her BYU Cougars! If you were ever that person, we offer our sincere apologies, there was truly nothing we could do to save you! In fact, she even once had a brave soul pinned up against a garage door, on the receiving end of a very serious finger-wagging lecture for disrespecting her team!

Colleen is survived by her three daughters, Jaye (John) Mecham, Terri Freckleton, and Mia (Michelle) Bergeson; her many beloved grandchildren, Jason Bergeson, Rikki (Seth) Neuenschwander, Brandon (Jamie) Visser, Jonny (Lisa) Mecham, Melissa (Sam) Carter, and Mary (Phil) Brough; and many great-grandchildren, all who loved her deeply, and miss her more than words can express.

A service honoring the beautiful life of our mom will be held at Leavitt’s Mortuary & Aultorest Memorial Park, 836 36th Street, Ogden, on Thursday, October 15th, at 2:00 p.m. Family and friends are invited to gather for a visit beginning at 1:00 p.m. prior to the service. We would be so grateful to have you join us to share memories and honor her life.

In lieu of flowers, please take a look around and find someone who needs to be lifted up, and offer them a kind word of encouragement or a simple act of service. Our mom spent her life doing this and nothing would mean more to her.

“It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end…because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even the darkness must pass.” -Samwise Gamgee, LOTR