Brian Keith Bergman, 75, of Cook, Minnesota, passed away peacefully at his home on August 24, 2026, surrounded by his family. He will be deeply missed by his beloved family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Brian was born on August 30, 1950, in Cook, Minnesota, to Albert and Thelma Bergman. He graduated from Cook High School in 1969 and went on to graduate from Eveleth Vo-Tech in 1970 as a certified welder.

Brian is survived by his wife of nearly 55 years, Gail; daughter Connie (Chad) Stone; son Dale (Christine Mallory) Bergman; grandchildren Sean Bergman, Steven (Alli) Stone, and Kate (Drake) Zibble; great-grandchildren Sutton and Kyler Stone; siblings Alden Bergman, Galen (Doreen) Bergman, and Shelly (Jason) Nelson; along with numerous brothers- and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert Bergman and Thelma Kolkka; stepfather Esko Kolkka; brother Harley Bergman; and sister Alberta “Birdie” Larson.

On December 4, 1971, Brian married his high school sweetheart, Gail Bartlett. Together, they made their home in Cook, where they raised their family and built a life filled with family, friendships, hard work, and countless adventures.

Brian spent his career as a welder, a trade that took him far beyond northern Minnesota. He worked for numerous companies throughout his career and traveled to mines across the United States, including locations in South Dakota, Michigan, Wyoming, and North Dakota, as well as internationally to Norway. He took great pride in his work and in the skills he developed throughout his career. Brian retired from Joy Global in 2014.

While Brian was a skilled craftsman by trade, his greatest passions were found in the outdoors, working with his hands, and spending time with the people he loved. He enjoyed camping trips with family and friends, fishing trips to Canada, and hunting. Some of his favorite times were spent at the hunting shack with his brothers-in-law, nephews, and grandsons, sharing stories, enjoying the outdoors, and hunting birds and deer and teaching his granddaughter the art of flying a homemade kite.

Brian was always working on his next project. He enjoyed woodworking and welding projects, restoring Farmall tractors, and taking on projects that challenged his skills and creativity. One of his greatest accomplishments was the restoration of a 1948 Chris-Craft Special Runabout wooden boat, a project that reflected his patience, craftsmanship, and love of restoring things to their former glory.

Brian also had a lifelong love of airplanes and flying. He earned his pilot’s license in 1983 and enjoyed many years flying his Aeronca Chief airplane. He was a member of the Cook/Orr Flying Club and enjoyed traveling to events such as the Oshkosh air show and the Bear River Fly-In.

Brian and Gail also shared a love of travel and adventure. Together, they enjoyed road trips that took them through 25 states and into Canada. Their travels were rarely just about getting somewhere—they enjoyed stopping along the way to explore antique shops, tourist attractions, museums, and local watering holes, creating memories wherever the road took them.

Brian will be remembered as a hardworking, talented, adventurous, and independent man who could build, fix, restore, or weld just about anything. But above all, he will be remembered for the love he had for his family and the memories he made with them. Some of his sweetest moments were spent teasing his great-grandchildren about who was the goofiest and making sure he always had a sweet treat tucked away in his pocket for them. Those little moments brought a smile to his face.

Brian leaves behind a lifetime of memories, stories, projects, adventures, and, most importantly, a family who loved him dearly. His presence will be deeply missed, but the memories he created and the legacy he leaves with his family will live on for generations to come.

A celebration of life will be held on Sunday August 30 at Mlaker Funeral Home at 3:00pm, visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.