Lisa Berggren

Inga-Lisa passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 18th, 2022, at the age of 84. She was supported by family and stayed by her husband Barry’s side at Oakwood Assisted Living until he passed on September 11th, 2022.

Lisa was born just outside of Växjö, Sweden on (or somewhere near) June 23rd, 1938 to Henry and Helfrid Roos.  Lisa was an only child but shared close relationships with family and friends in the magical woods outside of town.  Henry, Helfrid, and Lisa worked with the little they had, living a simple but storybook life alongside the pine forests, beautiful lakes, and occasional moose.  Lisa’s childhood home was built by the hands of her Father through great grit and skill. “Lyckebo” (Lucky House) was the name given to the house which was nestled in with gardens of flowers and the family’s sustaining food. Lisa had her own “lil stuga” playhouse next to Lyckebo where she spent many hours, sometimes entertaining friends with small meals or afternoon coffee.  Her sons, Stefan and Marcus, spent many hours in Henry’s old workshop, connecting with the spirit of their grandfather.  It was a truly special place.

Lisa’s formal education was only through the 7th grade in her corner of the woods, but she carried more common sense, craft skills and wisdom than most.  Her upbringing was rooted in traditions and in community.  Lisa had a deep appreciation of the outdoors, along with knowledge of forest edibles —from mushrooms to blueberries and strawberries, she felt at home nestled in the deep pines, bathed in the soft northern sun.

The holiday gatherings of her childhood were filled with good food, music, and dancing by candlelight.  She understood the value of conversation and taking the time to connect with loved ones and friends on these occasions. She passed on these values to Marcus and Stefan, enjoying long family meals around the table which was finely set with Swedish china and expertly folded napkins.

Lisa kept immaculate journals of her life, always in beautiful script as her mother had taught her. As the story goes, and faded yellow letters indicate, Lisa and Barry met at a gas station in Sweden while Barry was on business with Firestone.  It's apparent, Barry had more business to conduct when finding the love of his life.  Sifting through the mountains of memories, what became crystal clear was their undying and unwavering love for each other.  There was no mistaking the connection their words defined.

Barry and Lisa were able to travel the world, seeing so many great places together, and always returning to Sweden at least once a year to visit Lisa’s family. They had a rare understanding of the value of experiences over material things.  Lisa will always be remembered for her amazing grit and tolerance through all of the airplane rides and camping adventures that they continued to take once Marcus and Stefan were around.  After moving to Ohio when the kids were young, Lisa would haul her two wild boys to and from Sweden by herself when Barry was traveling for work.  With such a worldly reference, those two wild boys learned a love of traveling!

Lisa also passed on to her boys a love of cooking! She spent an extraordinary amount of time in the kitchen with Stefan and Marcus, teaching them the love language of cooking for one’s family.  The dishes were often from other regions of the world where they had lived and/or traveled many times.  While in the kitchen, conversations and laughter was always present, often speaking in Swedish, French, or even Italian!  She always said “laughter is the best medicine”.

Lisa’s love of music and art was always evident as well—she passed this on to her sons who consider music to be the blood of life.  Lisa enjoyed playing the right music for the occasion, often laughing, singing, and dancing along while in the kitchen. Hearing Marcus play piano or create his own music is an important legacy while Stefan is also known to be moved to tears when listening to music just as his mom was.

Eventually, Stefan and Marcus had their own children and Lisa and Barry relished in being grandparents.  They took any opportunity to share stories and photos of their families and their achievements.  Being near their eldest son Stefan in Madison, they were able to play a part in caregiving for their grandsons at a young age.  They also made many trips to Colorado to visit Marcus and his family, the most memorable being the births of their two granddaughters.

Lisa, without any doubt, exhibited kindness not often seen in this busy world of "me first".  She leaves a powerful legacy for us to deeply respect.  A legacy that is founded in kindness, selflessness and always giving without expectation of things in return.  She exhibited humility in its true Swedish fashion.  Confident in being right, but humble in needing to prove it, her spirit is a light that will not fade as her lessons flow through all who knew her well.

Lisa's most famous words were "All will be well."

Lisa was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Helfrid Roos.  Lisa is survived by her two sons; Stefan (Emily) Berggren, Matias and Anders Berggren of Madison, WI; Marcus (Janessa) Berggren, Bailey and Linnea of Boulder, CO; sister in-law Ellen (Richard) Varga and his nieces Tracy and Kelley.

In remembrance of Emma-Inga-Lisa Berggren, and her long battle with Alzheimer’s, the family asks charitable donations be made to: https://www.wearehfc.org/about

Memorial services will be held at Oakwood Chapel in a private family and friends setting.

Cress Funeral Home-Sun Prairie

608-837-9054