Lucille Bergstrom

life story

Lucille H. Bergstrom

Lucille H. Bergstrom, of Davenport, Iowa, formerly of Woodhull, Illinois, died September 6, 2026, in Davenport, Iowa.

Lucille was born March 26, 1938, in Bellingham, WA, a daughter of Reverend Harry and Nell (Randolph) Lundblad. Depending on where the Augustana Lutheran Synod called Harry to serve, Lucille subsequently lived in Gresham, OR; Ayer, MA; Bethlehem, PA (while Harry was an Army Chaplain in Europe during WW2); Rock Island, IL; Menominee, MI; and Woodhull, IL. The Lundblad family spent Saturday evenings mimeographing and folding bulletins for the next morning’s worship service. All hands of a pastor’s family were on deck in the 1940-50’s. Congregations did not have office staff.

Lucille played cello and piano in countless recitals and competitions.

The family moved to Woodhull, Illinois, in 1953 when Harry was called to be the pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church. Jim Bergstrom was a lifelong member of Bethany. Lucille and Jim were both juniors in high school; she aimed for college, and he was a farmer at heart. They graduated from AlWood High School in 1955, and Lucille became a student at Augustana College, Rock Island, IL, that fall.

Lucille and Jim married at Bethany on August 17, 1957, and moved to the Bergstrom farm where Jim was a third-generation Bergstrom to farm the land. Lucille was a city-girl willing to learn and adapt to rural life. Jim had to teach her how to climb over a fence and wash a milk pail.

After graduating from Augustana in three years, Lucille taught accounting, typing, and shorthand at AlWood High; and did some substitute-teaching after Ann and Dave were born in addition to being a mom and a farmer's wife. In 1965 she answered an ad in the newspaper for an office position at Pediatric Group Associates in Moline. She worked for the next 35 years, retiring as Practice Manager. Lucille continued working part-time for the same physicians as their financial secretary for 16 more years.

Lucille was an avid volunteer throughout her life. As an adult she taught Bethany Lutheran teen-age Sunday morning classes for 25 years, served on the Bethany church council, maintained Bethany member records, accompanied AlWood music students at state music contests, taught beginning piano students in her home, taught adult knitting through adult education classes at AlWood High School, Cambridge High School, and in her home. She knitted innumerable Norwegian sweaters for others (even though she was 96% Swedish and 4% Finnish). She also knitted sweaters for The Fiber Shop in Davenport for their displays; knitted and donated prayer shawls to church; knitted and donated over 500 "Bosom Buddies" (knitted prostheses for women after having a mastectomy); and created and felted women's handbags with yarn spun from alpaca wool raised locally.

After retiring from Pediatric Group, Lucille was a weekly volunteer for Trinity Medical Center in Rock Island as a trained Befriender, which meant she went room to room visiting patients on behalf of the Spiritual Care Department. She brought her Reverie Harp to visits and hospital staff called her "the lady with the harp." She volunteered weekly at the American Cancer Society recording donor data, was a certified Advanced Directives educator, and the recorder of volunteers' hours at Ridgecrest Village.

Lucille and Jim were soulmates and approached everything as equal partners. In 2014 they left the farm and moved into a cottage at Ridgecrest Village in Davenport, IA. As Jim's Alzheimer's progressed Lucille lovingly and devotedly cared for him. It was a long good-bye, yet filled with moments of joy right up until his last day.

After Jim died in 2020 Lucille filled her days with reading hot-off-the-press books, staying current with news, spending time with Ridgecrest friends, and becoming an aficionado of both painting and jigsaw apps on her iPad.

Lucille had signature traits. She was known for her impeccable organization, arriving early, being proactive and well-prepared, and for her cherry pies. She was "Lu" to high school friends; wore funky glasses, made lists, was generous. She researched five generations of ancestors for both her and Jim, and (no surprise here) kept detailed records. She was left-handed and could laugh at being directionally impaired. She held a fierce love for her immediate family, relatives, and friends, no matter how close or distant.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to the compassionate staff of Ridgecrest Village.

She is survived by her daughter Ann (Gay Wilker) Bergstrom of St. Paul, MN; son Dave (Gina) Bergstrom of Vandalia, MI; grandchildren Ellie Bergstrom of Oldenberg, Germany, and Ben (Colleen) Bergstrom of Des Plaines, IL; one great-grand-daughter Holly of Des Plaines, IL; brother Randy (Ruth) Lundblad of Eau Claire, WI; sister-in-law Karen (Lucy McIver) Lundblad of Camarillo, CA; nieces, nephews, and friends.

Lucille was preceded in death by her husband James Bergstrom in 2020; parents Harry and Nell; brother Conrad; sister and brother-in-law Janice and Gordon Lindquist.

memorial service

Memorial Service

September 16, 2026

Bethany Lutheran Church 380 W 3rd Ave, Woodhull, IL 61490, USA

Visitation is Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at Peterson Wallin Knox Funeral Home in Woodhull.

Online condolences can be made at www.petersonwallinknox.com

Funeral/Cremation Provider: Peterson-Wallin-Knox Funeral

A favorite reading of Lucille's

When I die

Give what's left of me away

To children

And old people that want to die.

And if you need to cry,

Cry for your brother

Walking the street beside you.

And when you need me,

Put your arms

Around anyone

And give them

What you need to give to me.

I want to leave you something,

Something better

Than words

Or sounds.

Look for me

In the people I've known

Or loved,

And if you cannot give me away

At least let me live on in your eyes

And not on your mind.

You can love me most

By letting

Hands touch hands,

By letting

Bodies touch bodies,

And by letting go

Of children

That need to be free.

Love doesn't die,

People do.

So, when all that's left of me

Is love,

Give me away.

by Merritt Malloy