Wilamena Berg

Wilamena June Seydel Berg died July 9, 2016, at her home in Post Falls, Idaho, after bravely fighting cancer for more than two years. She was 65 years old.

She was a beloved child of God, wife, mother, grandmother, member of Calvary Independent Baptist Church, and Sunday school teacher.

Wilamena’s family and friends will miss her compassion and empathy. She was passionate about teaching children and a gifted artist whose painstaking work will continue to delight for years to come.

Wilamena was born Nov. 20, 1950, in San Diego. Her father, Morris Monsees “Bill” Seydel, was an attorney for the U.S. Navy and later established his own practice. Her mother, Ruth Lukens Seydel, was a teacher and librarian. Wilamena’s maternal grandfather, Frederick Lukens, served as Idaho Secretary of State from 1927 to 1933.

A Navy brat, Wilamena moved often early in her life before her family settled in McCall, Idaho, in 1962. She became an accomplished and decorated alpine skier, competing nationally at high school and college levels.

After graduating from McCall-Donnelly High School in 1968, Wilamena attended the University of Colorado at Boulder. She transferred to Northeastern College of Sterling, Colo., and then to the University of Idaho, where she graduated in 1974 with a double-major bachelor’s degree in special education and elementary education. Wilamena was a third-generation Idaho graduate and educator.

While at the University of Idaho, Wilamena met Erik Berg. On Aug. 14, 1971, they were married in McCall. She gave birth to three sons between 1973 and 1979.

Wilamena left a lasting mark on everyone she knew. Her love for friends and family were unmatched. As a mother and teacher, she expected excellence, but she was accepting and forgiving.

She is survived by her husband, Erik; son Christian, his wife Marie and their two daughters Catherine and Madeleine of Charlotte, Vt.; son Sven-Erik of Boise; son John, his wife Britt and their three daughters Zoe Bockeneck, Anneka Berg and Lena Berg of Seminole, Fla.; and brother John Seydel and his wife Ruthann of Jonesboro, Ark.

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:17)