Berger Gudim

    Memorial services for Berger Gudim, Jr. were held at 6:00 PM Tuesday, January 5, 2010. Funeral
    Celebrant Dave Fulkerson conducted the service at Fulkerson Memorial Chapel in Plentywood.
    Interment of cremated remains will be in Rochester, New Hampshire at a later date. Honorary
    bearers were Ralph, Eric, and Chad Clark, and the Staff and Residents of the Montana Pioneer
    Manor. Berger died Wednesday morning, December 30 at Sheridan Memorial Hospital in
    Plentywood; he was 83.

    One of seven children of Berger and Mildred (Hobby) Gudim, he was born December 3, 1926 in
    Hawthorne, New York. Known as “Bill”, Berger grew up in several neighboring communities along
    the New York - Connecticut border. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy when he was too young; his mother
    actually went and brought him home! Then, December 6, 1943, 3 days after his 17th birthday, he did
    enlist, and served in the Pacific, including  Okinawa.  

    After Berger’s Navy  discharge March 14, 1946 he married Mary Taliaferro on September 21, 1946.  
    They lived in New York and Connecticut, where he worked at many different jobs. Divorced in 1969,  
    Berger then married Louise Norton in Redding, CT on August 14, 1970 and they lived in Sandy
    Hook, CT.   

Later, they moved to New Hampshire and he retired in 1988. In 1991 he and Louise moved to Plentywood, to be near his daughter, Terri
McCauley, then in 1996 they moved back to New Hampshire. Louise died August 6, 2006 and Berger returned to Montana. He lived in
Antelope until he moved to the Montana Pioneer Manor about a year and a half ago.

Berger loved people, and it didn’t take him long to get accustomed to Montana’s wideopen friendliness. Being known as “Terri’s Dad,”
he came to be just as open and  had a vigorous wave and hearty “hello” for everyone. He loved a gathering with family and friends that
always featured good food, music, dancing, card games, a barbecue, and a cold beer. In New England, the family’s frequent outings
were huge, boisterous affairs, usually adding camping, boating and water activities to the mix! An excellent and enthusiastic cook, he
was known for his boiled New England ham dinners, spaghetti with homemade sauce and meat balls, and the rich, spicy scents that
always let you know that Bill was cooking. He kept his yard and car  meticulously tended, and  raised a profusion of vegetables and
flowers. Berger was always engaged in what was going on around him, and loved to learn the culture of northeastern Montana. He
looked forward to playing Bingo on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Pioneer Manor.   A major sports fan, he followed NASCAR (Jimmie
Johnson and Jeff Gordon were favorites), the Boston Celtics, and the “Brooklyn” Dodgers, even after “the bums” moved to L.A! He always
followed all of his son, Jeff’s, and grandchildren Chad, Montana and Jeffrey’s games, and was enthusiastic and proud of their activities.
Bill kept in close touch with his family and wide circle of friends, and when asked what he was doing, always replied “I am sitting on my
a**, drinking a beer!”

Berger is survived by three children: Judy Pruitt and her husband Bill, of Bradenton, Florida; Terri McCauley and her husband Lyle, of
Antelope, Montana; and Jeffrey Berger Gudim, and his wife Crissy, of Rochester, NH; by five step-children, Harold (Caren) Clark, of
Southbury, CT; Gary (Lisa) Clark, of Hartford, CT; Bruce Clark, of Sandy Hook, CT; Elaine (Richard) Dunton, of Rochester, NH; and Lee
Clark, also in Connecticut. He is also survived by numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and step grand and step great-
grandchildren, as well as by a brother and two sisters: Dave Gudim, of NY, and Joan Hajjar,  and Mildred Barlow, both of CT.  Bill is also
survived by several nieces and nephews. Besides his wife and parents, he was preceded in death by three brothers and a sister.

Fulkerson Funeral Home of Plentywood had charge of arrangements.
. . . . in Memory of . . . .
. . . . in Memory of . . . .
. . . . in Memory of . . . .
1926 - 2010
Comments:
Guest
City, State
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Remembering Berger
We love you Dad may you rest in pease now with mom we will always miss you
Your Daughter-in-law.

Crissy Gudim
Rochester NH
tiggger1026@yahoo.com
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I love you granpa! RIP and tell grammie i said i love her too!

Casey
Rochester, NH
cdunton@metrocast.net
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I love you grandpa and never will forget the times we had together say hi to grandma for me love you both and will see you some day!!!!!

Dwayne
Rochester,NH
Dunton2010@yahoo.com
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