07 Feb Allen Karlberg

Allen Karlberg passed away on Feb. 4^th, 2024, at Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center in Bismarck, at the age of 82 after a five-year battle with Alzheimer’s/Dementia. He was surrounded by his family when he passed away peacefully.

Allen was born to Axel Thorsten & Mabel (Fordahl) Karlberg on January 1^st, 1942, in Crosby, ND.  Allen attended a rural school close to his homestead. He married Thelma Hagen on January 28^th, 1961, and they were married for 62 years.

Allen worked several jobs in the Noonan & Crosby area before doing what he loved most, working in the coal mines. After growing up on the family farm in Divide County, Allen worked as a young teenager on the Jewells Vandewalle farm in Noonan, milking cows & doing chores. He later started a job working at the Noonan Aggregate Plant until he took a fulltime job with Baukol Noonan in Noonan, ND, in 1962.  While working at Baukol Noonan he did many jobs from driving truck to welding. While working there he became a NSC First Aid and CPR Instructor and taught classes in Noonan & Center Mine as a part of his job. In 1977, Allen transferred to Baukol Noonan Coal Mine in Center, ND, where he took a fulltime position as Safety Director until he retired in 2004 after 42 years.

Allen & Thelma loved to travel around the US and over the years and they traveled to 48 states via car, RV, tour bus, trains, planes & cruise ships. During the summers you would find Allen & Thelma camping in their RV at various lakes & campgrounds with their camping friends and family. Allen and Thelma always looked forward to attending the Norsk Hostfest in Minot every year, attending 43 years total.  Allen had a passion for carpentry and woodworking. He spent many hours helping his children remodel their homes and loved building wooden toys for his grandchildren.

His pride and joy were his five grandchildren, Ryan (April) Berger, Tara (Marc) Spinelli, Corey (Kayla) Berger, Amber (James) Grause, Tanner (Kiera) Berger and nine great grandchildren Nevaeh, Calli & Kendall Berger, Rowdy Berger & Tate Shearer and Hayley, Landon, Caleb & Brayden Grause.

Allen is survived by his daughter, Carrie (Barry) Berger, Dickinson, ND, son, Troy (Melody) Karlberg, Bismarck, ND; sister, Helen (Merle) Brenno, Kalispell, MT, sisters-in- law, Arlene Schmidtke & Rose Hinricksen; five grandchildren, nine great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Thelma, parents, Axel Thorsten Karlberg & Mabel (Lawrence) Fliflet, mother-in-law and father-in-law, Olaf & Irene Hagen, sister-in-law, Clarice Saeman, brothers-in-law, Vern Saeman, Cal Schmidtke, Jerry Hinricksen & Floyd Cornwell.

Visitation will take place at the Bismarck Funeral Home on Friday, February 9th, from 5:00-8:00pm with a prayer service at 7:00pm. Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, February 10^th, 2024, at 10:00am at the Bismarck Funeral Home, with Pastor Dennis Ristvedt from St. Paul Lutheran Church of Center, ND officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Burial will be held at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Following the graveside service, everyone is welcomed for a luncheon and fellowship at the Bismarck Funeral Home.