Obituary: Jim Berger

Jim Berger, long-time Saratoga rancher, passed away at age 85 at his home in Saratoga on Jan. 5, 2014, surrounded by his family.

Jim lived 72 years in Wyoming, after moving from his childhood home in New Jersey in 1941 at age 13. He attended high school in Cheyenne, finishing in three years, while working as a stable hand and wrangling horses. He attended the University of Wyoming, where he served as president of the UW Rodeo Club and helped organize the Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. He was a member of the Alpha Zeta agricultural honor fraternity. During his college years, he worked on several area ranches, which helped to shape his future. Jim received his bachelor's degree in agriculture from UW in 1949.

In June, 1949, Jim married Marian Aden of Saratoga. They remained partners in ranching and in life for more than 64 years. After a short time in Lander, where Jim taught farming to war veterans, they settled in the Saratoga Valley.

In 1950, they leased the Gould Ranch on the North Platte River, east of Saratoga. In 1954, they purchased the Kingman Ranch, west of Saratoga, on North Spring Creek, by borrowing 110 percent of the purchase price. They traded in 1957 for the Aden Ranch on South Spring Creek, which remains part of the Berger Ranch. Through the years, they expanded the ranch to include several additional ranches on North Spring Creek, stretching from Highway 130, south of Saratoga, to the Medicine Bow National Forest boundary to the west. In addition to the Berger Ranch operation, which he owned and operated, Jim managed Saratoga Valley ranches for outside owners. As the extent of lands under his management grew from the dry pastures of the continental divide west of Saratoga to the irrigated foothills west of Encampment, he earned his private pilot's license and flew his airplane, managing from the sky.

Jim enjoyed his work with cattle, horseback riding, grass and hay production and the entirety of the ranching life. His greatest passion was irrigation, and he worked tirelessly to make meadows green and productive in the dry climate.

Beginning early in his career, Jim accepted an expanding role in community and livestock industry affairs. Jim was recognized in 1959 as the outstanding young rancher of Carbon County. He became president of the Encampment-Saratoga Angus Association in 1961. In 1962, he was elected President of the Carbon County Farm Bureau. He was appointed to the Governor's Committee on Education in 1964. Also in 1964, he ran as a candidate for Carbon County Commissioner. Jim served as Chairman of the Carbon County Republican Party. Perhaps his greatest service came with his position as president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association from 1985 to 1987. He remained very active in the work of WSGA and its committees and supporting foundation throughout his career. In addition, he did committee work for the National Cattlemen's Association, including the controversial study of the livestock futures trading contracts of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to make them workable for all segments of the industry, and chairing the Cow/Calf Stocker Council in 1988 and served later on the foreign trade committee. He served from 1988 to 1990 on the executive committee of the National Cattlemen's Association. Always, he focused on issues regarding Wyoming water, and actively helped with the work of the Upper North Platte River Water Users Association.

Through the years, Jim and Marian built a quality herd of Angus cattle, using herd selection, performance testing and range renovation techniques. Their success in these endeavors earned them repeated recognition in many regional publications, including the Wyoming Stockman Farmer, the Montana Stockman Farmer, and the Farm Journal. By 1969, the Western Livestock Journal called Jim "one of Wyoming's outstandingly progressive young cattlemen." Greater publicity came in 1985, when Jim's commentary on the financial struggles of western ranchers made news on the front page of the New York Times, as well as the International Herald Tribune.

Jim was an avid hunter and outdoorsman. In his later years, he became a regular golfer. This led to his active involvement in Old Baldy Club, where he served on the Board of Directors from 2006 through 2010.

Jim was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Saratoga.

Jim is survived by his wife Marian and three children, Robert George (Rosie) Berger, of Big Horn; Jack Aden (Diana) Berger, of Saratoga; and Jamie Lynn (Jimmy) Campbell, of Saratoga. He was survived also by seven grandchildren, Kirby Alan (Dixie) Berger, of Saratoga; Kyle Perry (Stacy) Berger, of Laramie; Casey James (Stephanie) Neuman; of Cheyenne; Katie Irene (Ben) Parrish, of Mesa, Ariz.; Hadley Frank Berger, of Laramie; Jace Raymond Berger, of Saratoga; and Aubrey Marie Berger, of Saratoga. In addition, Jim is survived by eight great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by one infant child and by his parents George and Gertrude Berger, of Saratoga.

Services are scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014, at the Valley Chapel at the Saratoga Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Wyoming Stock Growers Association or the American Heart Association.