Bertha Fagan

Bertha H. Fagan, 96, of Adair, Iowa, passed away Wednesday, September 20, 2023, at the Stuart Care Facility in Stuart, IA.

Bertha Helen Fagan was born on December 20, 1926, in Adair County, Iowa near Bridgewater, IA. She was the daughter of John and Helen (Kordick) Burg.

She lived her entire life in Adair County and graduated from Menlo High School in 1944. On April 14, 1951, she was united in marriage to Robert J. Fagan at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Casey, Iowa. She and Robert lived on a farm south of Adair, where they farmed.

Bertha was a member of St. John’s Catholic Church in Adair. She was a homemaker and then started to work as the librarian for Adair Public Library in 1978. She worked there for 34 years. She was an avid reader and was still reading up until she passed away. We hope heaven has a library. Besides reading, she enjoyed flowers, watching the farm activities, and most of all spending time with her family and grandchildren. She also enjoyed being a long-time member of her club, The Willing Workers.

Bertha is survived by her son, John Fagan, and his wife, Kathy of Adair, Iowa; daughters, Debbie Waterbury and her husband, Mike of Atlantic, Iowa and Ann Culver of Atlantic, Iowa; grandchildren: Matt Fagan and his wife, Monica of Adair, Iowa, Bethany Kintigh and her husband Nick of Greenfield, Iowa, Jenny Armstrong and her husband, Tyson of Adel, Iowa, Katie Ohms and her husband, Nate of Fontanelle, Iowa. Jill Ackelson and her husband, Jake of Des Moines, Iowa, Josie Waterbury of Ankeny, Iowa, Tom Waterbury and his wife Jessica of Sioux Falls, SD, Dennis Culver and his wife, Courtney of Johnston, Iowa and Darci Reyerson of New Richmond, Wisconsin: great grandchildren, Paisley and Dax Kintigh, Carley, Belle and Joseph Fagan, Chloe, Camden, Conner Ohms, Mac and Rawley Armstrong, Sawyer and Riley Ackelson, Wells, Collins, and Ellison Waterbury, Mason, Ivan and Brynn Reyerson. Novalee and Anders Culver, and great, great grandchild, Takoda Ackelson. She is also survived by her sister, Mary Ann Hart of Des Moines, Iowa, sister-in-law, Phyllis O’Brien of Adair, Iowa, and brother-in-law, Phillip Fagan and his wife Wilma of Adair, Iowa, and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert; her parents, Helen and John Burg, stepmother, Loretta Burg; brothers-in-law, Joseph Hart, Eugene Fagan, Ambrose Fagan, Clair Richter; and sisters-in-law, Kathleen Fagan, and June Fagan, and son in law, Daryl Culver.

Visitation with the family will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with a rosary at 6:30 p.m., on Monday, September 25, 2023, at the Schmidt Family Funeral Home in Adair, IA.

Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at St. John's Catholic Church in Adair, IA. Father Antony Mathew will be the celebrant. Interment will be at St. John's Catholic Cemetery just south of Adair following mass. A luncheon will take place following the burial at the St. John's Catholic Hall.

Memorials may be directed to the Bertha Fagan Family to be designated to many of her favorite local organizations and charities. Memorials may be mailed to the Schmidt Family Funeral Home P.O. Box 523, Atlantic, IA 50022.

Funeral arrangements are handled with the Schmidt Family Funeral Home of Adair, IA.