Lawrence K "Larry" Bergum

Lawrence (Larry) K. Bergum, 72, was born on January 26, 1945, in Auburn, Washington, to Robert and Irene (Montgomery) Bergum. As a young boy, he lived with his parents and older brother south of Seattle. He graduated from Mount Rainier High School; after which he joined the United States Air Force.
Larry worked for Boeing, and also attended South Seattle Community College. With his first marriage, came the births of his sons, Kevin & Darin.
While working at Glasgow AFB, Montana, Larry met the love of his life, Laura Tietz. They were married on April 27, 1974. Shortly afterwards, Larry joined the Laurel City Police Department. He was accepted into the Montana Highway Patrol in 1978, retiring as a Sergeant in 2000. During this time, the family lived in Chester and Culbertson, Montana. Larry & Laura had two children, Julie and Eric.
After retiring from MHP, Larry worked as a Court Security Officer at the Russell Smith Federal Courthouse in Missoula, MT. He retired as a CSO in 2011.
He served on the Culbertson School Board for ten years. He also volunteered at the Culbertson Food Bank and Trinity Lutheran Church. He was a longtime member of the American Legion, and served with the Montana National Guard for several years. He enjoyed following his children and grandchildren’s many activities through the years. Some of his hobbies were woodworking, biking, and hiking.
Larry passed away on January 8, 2018, in Missoula, MT, after a courageous 4-year battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his family.
Larry is survived by his wife, Laura, Missoula; his four children: Kevin (Kassia) Valley View, Texas; Darin (Donabel) Guam; Julie (Brad) Missoula; Eric (Cassandra) Culbertson; Grandchildren: Kiefer, Autumn, Emma, Kylie, Tyler, and Dawson; his brother, James (Lynn) Covington, WA, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert & Irene Bergum.
Graveside services will be held in the spring at the Friedens Gemeinde Cemetery near Culbertson, MT. In lieu of flowers, the family requests those so inclined please offer donations to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (www.curemeso.org).
Condolences and memories may be left for the family at www.gardencityfh.com