Joel Orvis Berg

To watch a recording of the service, please use the link: https://youtu.be/-enB6RywqQA 

United States Navy

Joel Orvis Berg passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, surrounded by his family.

Joel, affectionately known as “Joey” to his six siblings, was born at home in Hatton, North Dakota on February 9, 1940, to Hazel and Orville Berg. He was baptized at the home of his grandparents in Hatton and became a lifelong member of United Lutheran Church upon moving to Grand Forks at the age of two. He attended Belmont Elementary and Central High School.

At the age of seventeen, Joel proudly joined the United States Navy. He completed his naval service with deployments across Spain, Greece, and the Mediterranean until his honorable discharge in 1961. Upon returning to Grand Forks, he married the love of his life, Bonnie (Blackmore) Berg, who he had known since 5th grade. They were married on January 6, 1962, and shared 64 years of marriage, building a family and lifetime of memories.

Joel and Bonnie moved to Garden Grove, California soon after they married. They remained in California for two years where their son, Rick, was born. They returned to Grand Forks where their daughter, Kristi, and son, Jason, were born.

Joel worked in the grocery store business, with his later years spent at Hugo’s. He had a gift for humor that he shared with coworkers throughout the years, always ready with a clever wisecrack. Joel later partnered with his wife Bonnie, in the ownership and operation of Reflections Hair Salon.

Joel was a devoted husband, dad, and grandpa, always present for sporting events and activities of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Family life was filled with adventures in the backyard, camping, family trips, playing games, sports, and time at the lake. His house was filled with kids and friends of his kids. He was not one to sit back and watch, always joining in on the fun. Joel always found something new to create, repair, or explore. He taught himself to sew, starting with hunting clothes, then eventually recovering furniture and the interior of his old 1970 truck. He enjoyed tinkering, refurbishing old cars, and going to car shows. He made the best apple pies from the apples that he handpicked from his apple trees. He was an old-school hockey fan and could be found in the bleachers, or more often, along the glass, close to the action. He was a member of the Grand Forks Blue Line Club and was also a lifelong member of the VFW.

In his retirement years, he enjoyed sitting on the deck of his lake home at Island Lake for forty-seven summers, drinking coffee and reading a book, cruising the lake on his pontoon, or taking drives in his Jeep. He was dedicated to his coffee group and truly loved the daily conversations and debates. Joel and Bonnie enjoyed their winters in Arizona, spending time with family and friends in the sun.

Joel will be remembered fondly for his loyal support and unwavering encouragement to his family, for his stories about his travels and adventures in the Navy, and for his genuine kindness to anyone he met. He had a quick wit and sense of humor to the very end. His love and courage will live on through his family forever.

Joel is survived by his loving wife, Bonnie; sons Rick Berg and Jason Berg; daughter Kristi (Tracy) Eslinger; grandchildren Mandy Berg, Joseph (Jaimee) Berg; Nicholas (Jennifer) Berg, Hailey Berg; Nate, Brenna, Ava Eslinger; great-grandchildren Rylee, Alivia, Tegan, Harper, River, Cade, and Brayden; sisters Patti and Debbie, brother Darrell; several nieces and nephews; and special friends Vern and Carol. He was preceded in death by his parents, Orville and Hazel Berg; sisters Marilyn and Marjane; and brother Russell.

The family of Joel would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the Altru ICU nurses for their care and dedication, especially Nurse John for his compassion and kindness.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Thursday, October 1, 2026, at Amundson Funeral Home with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, October 2, 2026, at Amundson Funeral Home. Interment will take place at Fargo National Cemetery, Harwood, ND.