JC to remember student at service

The unexpected death of a student has left members of the Jamestown College community shocked and saddened.

Josh Berg, 24, a mass communications major at JC, died Feb. 16 of a pulmonary embolism caused by a blood clot. He would have graduated this spring.

“He was just all around a great guy, a great friend,” said Ben Kaspari, who met Berg when Kaspari started going to school in Lisbon, N.D. The two grew up together and attended Jamestown College together. When Kaspari got married, Berg served as his best man.

Many of the people who knew him best speak of Berg’s outgoing, friendly nature — how much he enjoyed meeting new people and how he was always looking for new friends.

“I have no idea how he did it, but he could walk into a room and not know anybody, and on the way out, he’d be friends with all of them,” Kaspari said.

Berg’s roommate, Kyle Heim, said he would be surprised if anyone could find a single person who would say anything negative about Berg.

A prayer service for Berg at St. Aloysius Church in Lisbon Thursday had so many attendees that people had to stand. His funeral was Friday at the church, but Jamestown College will also remember Berg during the 11 a.m. chapel service on Thursday at Voorhees Chapel.

“It’s such a tight community, if you didn’t know Josh, you knew somebody who did. It’s hard not to be impacted,” said Gary Van Zinderen, dean of students at Jamestown College.

Van Zinderen said the college is organizing an annual scholarship in Berg’s name, to begin next year. Donations may be made to the scholarship fund through the Office of Institutional Advancement, at 6082 College Lane.

A note on the college’s Facebook page encouraged students to speak to the JC chaplain, Darin Namminga, or a counselor.

“We’ve really encouraged students to reach out to those services,” Van Zinderen said.

Anthony Finstad, another friend of Berg’s from Lisbon, recalled Berg as an outdoorsy person who loved fishing and camping — an Eagle Scout who coached children’s baseball and participated in intramural sports.

“He was just a really friendly, outgoing guy,” Finstad said. “… it was such a shock.”

Kaspari praised the staff at Jamestown College for pulling together.

“Everybody was shocked, of course, that it happened, but they really pulled together and it shows the tremendous amount of support for the family and the person,” Kaspari said.

“The students have been great, very supportive,” Heim said. “It’s kind of hard — it’s a little different socializing, because you don’t want to get asked the same questions over and over again, but overall, the support has been great for the students.”

Heim said he hopes people will keep Berg’s family in their prayers.

Sun reporter Kari Lucin can be reached at 701-952-8453

or by email at

klucin@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, news