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Obera Jean Richert Bergdall © Enid Morning News 03-2006 Submitted by: Jo Aguirre
June 15, 1929 ~ March 30, 2006
Obera Bergdall died in her home at Epworth Villa in northwest Oklahoma City this past Thursday, March 30, 2006. Her death followed an extended hospitialization for a number of chronic conditions.
Obera Jean Richert Bergdall was the daughter of Sophia Smith and Ben Richert, and was born near Meno, Oklahoma on June 15, 1929. Her siblings were Roger Dean Richert and Kay Richert Atkinson.
She graduated from the Oklahoma Bible Academy in Meno in 1947, and thereafter attended the Bethel College in Newton, Kansas until the untimely death of her mother in a tragic accident, caused her to return home to care for her younger siblings.
In 1949, Obera married John Calvin Bergdall, also a native of Major County, and began a marriage which continued until Calvin's death in 1985. Obera and Calvin made their home in Enid, where they raised their children, Terry Dean Bergdall, born in 1950, Thomas Wayne Bergdall, born in 1951, and Timothy Lane Bergdall, born in 1957. In 1954, Obera and Calvin became the foster parents of Sylvia McWhirter. Obera's grandchildren are Kristie Jones Albright, Kerrie Jones, Dan Bergdall, April Bergdall Eberle, and Robert Bergdall. She is survived by six great-grandchildren, J. T. Albright, Ashlee Albright, Robert Dietrich Bergdall, Paden Michael Bergdall, Loralee Rose Bergdall and Benton Eberle.
In the early 1950's, Obera began a long associatin with the Oklahoma Democratic Party. She served many years as Secretary/Treasurer of the Garfield County organization, and in 1977, was the first woman to be elected as Chair of the Oklahoma State Democratic Party. Mrs. Bergdall was involved in various positions in the campaigns of Senator Robert Kerr, W. P. "Bill" Atkinson, Senator Fred Harris, Governor David Hall, Governor and Senator David Boren, Congressman Glenn English, Governor George Nigh and Governor David Walters, among many others.
In 1982, Mrs. Bergdall began work for the office of State Auditor Clifford Scott, where she was responsible for regulation of the title abstract industry until her retirement in 1999. In recent years, she served as a volunteer in the headquarters of the State Democratic Party. In 2005, she received the Carl Albert Award for Lifetime Achievement in Oklahoma Democratic politics.
Funeral service will be held at the Quail Springs United Methodist Church, 14617 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Oklahoma City at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on Monday, April 3, 2006. Graveside services will follow at 4 p.m. at Pleasant Hill Cemetery west of Meno. Arrangements are under the direction of Henninger-Allen Funeral Home, Enid, Oklahoma
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations may be made in Mrs. Bergdall's name to the Democratic National Committee, Attn: Miti Sathi, 430 Capitol Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003, or to the Mercy at Home Hospice Service.
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