Virginia Mae Weiland-Bergner

     Virginia Mae (Weiland) Bergner, 87 of Fostoria, Iowa, daughter of John and Ethel (Sliefert) Weiland, was born July 1, 1935 in Storm Lake. Virginia died January 11, 2023 at Sioux Falls Heart Hospital.

     Virginia was raised in Storm Lake, Iowa, where she received her early education, graduating from Storm Lake High School in 1952.  After high school, Virginia attended Buena Vista College and the University of North Carolina Dental College, receiving her CDA degree May of 1959.  She continued her education in dental assisting at the University of Nebraska, the University of Iowa, and Colorado and obtained her dental assisting teaching degree.

     Virginia worked for dentists in Sioux City while teaching dental assistant certification and recertification classes at Western Iowa Tech.  During this time, she conducted the first National CDA test there.  In the sixties, Virginia took a short break from her dental career and became a Stewardess for Northwest Orient Airlines in St. Paul.  An airline strike led her back to her career as a dental assistant.  She worked for Doctors in Storm Lake, Sioux City, and Hartley.  In Spencer, she worked for Drs. Fiedler, and Shively.  She was especially proud of the fact that she was able to represent Iowa as the dental assistant of the year in Las Vegas, while working for the Fiedler’s.

     Virginia married Eugene Bergner on December 18, 1971 in Sioux City.  They separated and later divorced.  Virginia will be remembered as an independent, strong willed, and outspoken person.  She worked well past retirement age and did not accept help easily.  Her dogs were her life, and she would make sure they were well taken care of before her needs were met.  After she retired, she went to Spencer everyday to walk and have coffee at Burger King and later Hardees.  When she couldn’t go to town she would walk in her basement.  She was known to scoop her long driveway by hand just so she could get out.  She took pride in her home and yard. She kept it up as best as she could afford.  She decorated for every season and loved it when someone would come visit to see her home.

     Virginia was a member of the United Methodist Church at Fostoria and in later years attended Grace United Methodist Church in Spencer.  She was a lifetime member of the Eastern Star of Morning, Sioux City, and the Iowa and American Dental Assistant Association.

     Virginia was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, her ex-husband and her beloved dogs: Rebel, Cricket and Benji.  Left to cherish her memory are her neighbor, church, and coffee friends and numerous people she met over the years.

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