George Bergen Jr., 81, died March 19 at Research Medical Center, Kansas City, Mo. He was born May 6, 1932, at Washita, Okla., the son of Gerhart and Bertha (Sawatsky) Bergen. He married “Dilly” Emma Faye Salem on Nov. 7, 1964, at Hudson.  She died Dec. 30, 2004. A Great Bend resident since 1964, coming from Liberal, he was a baker for Karolee Donut Shop, was a roughneck and mud engineer, worked for Great Bend Packing, and was co-owner of Dilly’s Restaurant from 1987 to 2004.
Mr. Bergen was a member of First Southern Baptist Church, Great Bend.
Survivors include one son, Stanton Bergen of St. John; three daughters, Deborah Coppedge and her husband Brad of Claremore, Okla., Rhonda Hughes of Great Bend, and Shelly Bottcher and her husband David of Grandview, Mo.; three sisters, Verna Tinsley of Lexington, S.C., Evelyn Burke of Shawnee, Okla.,, and Delores Behl of Forest Hill, Calif.; six grandchildren, Stephanie Keenan and her husband Matt, Dalton Hughes, Emmaly Bottcher, Evan Bottcher, Michele Shell and her husband Chris, Brian Coppedge and Rebekah; and five great-grandchildren, Ashlyn Shell, Autumn Shell, Katelyn Bergen, Hunter Casto, and J. J. Davis, and expecting Baby Keenan. He was preceded in death by one son, Steven Bergen; three brothers, Herbert Bergen, LeRoy Bergen and Donnie Bergen; three sisters, Beatrice Edwards, Bernice Haddock and Louise Kirby; former son-in-law, Marlin Hughes; one grandson, Jarod Bergen; and one great-granddaughter, Summer Kay Shell.
Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 23, at First Southern Baptist Church in Great Bend with the Rev. Dr. Doyle Smith officiating. Interment will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Great Bend Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 1 to 9 p.m., with the family receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m., Saturday at the funeral home. Memorial donations to First Southern Baptist Church or George Bergen Expense Fund may be made in care of  the funeral home. Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net.

Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home*
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, March 21, 2014