Esther E. Bergh

Forever grateful for her blessed life, Esther Edith Bergh, 95, passed away peacefully Oct. 5, 2019. Funeral services will take place at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 7, at the Yukon Chapel at Mt. Carmel Cemetery.
The ultimate teacher, learner and friend, Esther’s remarkable life began June 7, 1924, in Munich. Soon after her birth, her family moved to the nearby town of Schwäbisch Gmünd. She often talked about her wonderful childhood there – stories of her Mutti and Vati, Dora and Emil Laster, and younger siblings Herbert and Herta. That came to a crashing halt in January 1939, when her mother courageously put her on a kindertransport train to England – ultimately saving her and her siblings' lives. Surviving the war, she spent 10 years in England -- some of that time with a foster family.
Ultimately, she studied early childhood psychology and development at the Anna Freud Institute – inspiring her lifelong passion as an early childhood educator. An ardent Zionist, she made Aliyah (to Israel) in 1949, among the young Holocaust survivors who pioneered the newly formed state. From mud and stone, she helped create Kibbutz Lavi in northern Israel. In 1956, she made her way to New York to be closer to her surviving family.
Through the 1950s version of dating app J-Swipe (a personal ad), she connected with, and fell in love with, her beloved “Dahling,” Warner Bergh. In another courageous move, she left her family for Des Moines, not knowing a soul there, to begin the next chapter of her life. There, she raised her family, created Des Moines’ first Jewish preschool, educating hundreds of children until she retired at age 75, and established a community of lifelong friends and admirers.
Her daughters, Jackie and Evie are her biggest fans. While she wasn’t the kind of mom who said, “shoot for the stars,” they always knew she was behind them, dreaming for them and giving them the support they needed along the way. A true friend and great listener, Esther maintained dear friendships all over the world. Her advice was always on spot.
Her love for all things Jewish inspired her as a Hebrew school teacher, member of the Tifereth Israel Synagogue (Des Moines) choir and chair of their Hesed committee. As a Holocaust survivor, she fervently shared her story to audiences in Des Moines and later in Kansas City.
She was an excellent cook, avid reader, world traveler and life-long learner. In 2013, she and Warner moved to Kansas City to be with their family, who is forever grateful for this special time.
Adoring family members include her husband of 63 years, Warner; admiring daughters Jackie (Phil) Hermanson and Evie (Bob) Grant; beloved sister Herta Erreich; cherished grandchildren Elena (Ben) Heisler, Seth (Becca) Hermanson, Roni Grant, Jonathan Hermanson and Ally Grant; and adored great-grandson Micah Heisler.
A huge thank-you to her patient and tender-loving caregivers, Joyce, Lila and Yvonne, during her final months, along with the angels from hospice.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, Mazon or Tifereth Israel Synagogue.
Shiva services take place at the home of Evie and Bob Grant at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7. The family will be saying Kaddish at Village Shalom at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10.