Dean C Meberg

After a long and courageous battle with cancer, Dean Coulter Meberg, passed away surrounded by his family on Friday, March 22, 2019 in Sanford Palliative Care of Fargo.

Dean was born on September 3, 1955 as the youngest son of David Urby and Gail (Mauritson) Meberg in Park River, ND. He attended grade school at Dundee Country School before transferring and later graduating from Park River High School as a member of the Class of 1973.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1978-1982. He was stationed at Ft. Benning, Georgia, Ft. Greeley, Alaska, and lastly serving at Ft. Carson in Colorado. During his time in the military, he held the rank of SGT for C-Company, 1 ^st Battalion, 8 ^th Infantry Regiment, 4 ^th Infantry Division, and was activated for duty with the Panama and Grenada conflicts.

On July 26, 1980 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Park River, ND, Dean married his high-school sweetheart and love of his life, Erna Johnson in front of family and friends. They then moved to Colorado and began their life together. When Dean chose to leave the military to focus on farming and family, they moved back to Park River and have lived there ever since. Dean and Erna brought three children into this world: Kelli, Katie, and Sean, and since then, life has never slowed down between work, running kids to school activities, and helping to take care of their parents.

Dean was a firefighter at the Cavalier Air Station Fire Department, and was also an Assistant Fire Chief, where he served from 1988, until his medical condition forced him to retire in 2016. IN addition to working as a fireman, he was a member of the Local I-18 Firefighters Union and served a term as Union President, Administrator of the Memorial Park Cemetery, past President and member of Our Savior’s Church Council, member of the Park River Volunteer Fire Department, active member of the Paul Farup American Legion Post #147, Sons of the American Legion Post #147, Legion Riders, Gideons, NRA, Walsh County Water Board, and Kensington Township Board.

He loved being able to help others, travel and spend time with his children and grandchildren. Sometimes those three things would even be combined with the many moves his daughters have had over the years! Dean and his brother, DJ, would often go on motorcycle trips together, but Dean truly loved being able to travel with his bride, Erna – many wonderful memories were made on those trips together over the years.

Dean is survived by his wife, Erna Meberg; daughters, Kelli (Bobby) Schatz, and Katie (Dean) Thompson all of Park River, ND, and a son, Sean (Justine) Meberg of Fort Montgomery, NY; grandchildren: Trace Anderson, Benjamin and Keegan Schatz, Coulter and Alice Meberg; mother: Gail Meberg; brothers: DJ (Claudia) Meberg, Lynn (Yolanda) Meberg; sisters-in-law: Barb Meberg, Gail (Richard) Hokenson, Lina (John) Eide; brothers-in-law: DeWayne (Gwen) Johnson, and Dwight (Susan) Johnson, many nieces, nephews, aunts, and cousins. He was preceded in death by David Urby Meberg (father), Allerd and Irene Johnson (father and mother-in-law), Arne Meberg (brother), and Layla Schatz (granddaughter).

Funeral services will be Friday, March 29, 2019 at 10:30 AM at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, Park River, ND. Visitation will be Thursday from 5-7 with a prayer service at 7:00 PM at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church. Friends may also call at the church on Friday for one hour prior to the service. Military rites will be provided by the Paul Farup American Legion Post and the North Dakota National Guard Honor Guard. Interment will be at Memorial Park Cemetery in the spring. In lieu of flowers, the family would like to request memorials be sent to either Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, or the Roger Maris Cancer Center.