Pastor Lloyd Maurice Berger Jr.

Pastor Lloyd Maurice Berger, Jr. was born on October 10, 1938 in West Duluth, Minnesota to Lloyd M, Sr. and Myrtle V (Iverson) Berger. Lloyd grew up in Duluth, Minnesota. He was Baptized and Confirmed, and in 1964 ordained into the ministry, all in Zion Lutheran Church, Duluth, Minnesota. In 1956 he graduated from Denfeld High School in Duluth. He attended the University of Minnesota, Duluth from 1956 to 1958, and transferred to Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota where he could learn ancient Greek, the original language of the New Testament. In 1961 he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1960 he enrolled in Luther Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota, graduating in 1964 with a Bachelor of Theology degree,

Lloyd was called to serve as the pastor of a three point parish which included Hafslo Lutheran Church (rural Crookston, MN), Scandia Lutheran Church (rural Beltrami, MN) and Trinity Lutheran Church (Beltrami, MN). In 1970 he was called to serve as the associate pastor of Zion Lutheran Church (Thief River Falls, MN), serving alongside Senior Pastor Alex Stoffel. In 1976, Lloyd was called to serve as the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Clinton, MN). In 1988, Holden Lutheran Church (rural Beardsley, MN) and Trinity formed a two-point parish and Lloyd was called to serve as the pastor of those two congregations. In 2005, Lloyd retired from active ministry, and he and his wife moved to Alexandria, Minnesota, joining Shalom Lutheran Church.

While serving in Zion Lutheran Church, Lloyd met Sandra J. Froiland. The two fell in love and were married in 1974. A son, Matthew L. Berger, was born in 1975, and in 1980 their family expanded to include sisters Kristi L. Berger and Sarah E. Berger.

During his lifetime, Lloyd was elected to a variety of church positions, including President of the Zion Lutheran Church (Duluth, MN) Luther League; President of the Northern Minnesota District Arrowhead Circuit Luther League; the Nomination Committee of the Northwestern Minnesota District, The American Lutheran Church; Registrar of the Teen Age Organist Institute, Northwestern Synod, The American Lutheran Church; President of Minne-Wa-Kan Bible Camp Association ( near Cass Lake, Minnesota), and later Treasurer of Minne-Wa-Kan Bible Camp; board member of Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota; Synod Call Committee, Southwestern Minnesota Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America; Chairman, Elections Committee, Southwestern Minnesota Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; and Dean of the Glacial Ridge Conference, Southwestern Minnesota, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Lloyd briefly served in the Chaplain Corp of the United States Army Reserve, eventually choosing parish ministry over ministry in the military.

In addition to a robust faith in Christ Jesus and a burning desire to preach the Gospel of our Lord and administer His Sacraments, God gave Lloyd a vigorous curiosity about many subjects, including theology, archaeology (especially Biblical archaeology), history, board games (especially chess), model building (especially model railroad); music (especially classical music – Lloyd played piano, clarinet, saxophone, flute, guitar ( which he taught himself), the Native American flute (which he learned at age of 75 years); photography; railroad history (particularly about the Soo Line Railroad where his father was a locomotive engineer and his grandfather a roundhouse foreman); and woodworking. Lloyd wrote two magazine articles which were published. He was proud that he had learned three languages (Latin, New Testament Greek and Old Testament Hebrew) but drolly lamented that, though he could read them, he could only speak English (and sometimes he had trouble with that language.)

Lloyd died at the age of 87, on Sunday, September 27, 2026, leaving behind three children; Kristi (Michael) Malmgren, Matthew Berger, and Sarah (Bryan) Herr; his two favorite grandchildren (Carter Malmgren and Ruby Herr); brother-in-law and sister-in-law Barry and Susan Froiland and their children Reid, Taylor, Dane and Marah; and many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sandra, parents Lloyd and Myrtle Berger, and many family members. 

Visitation will be held on Sunday, October 4, 2026, 5:00 - 7:00 PM at the Anderson Funeral Home. Visitation will continue on Monday, October 5, 2026, 10:00 - 11:00 AM at Shalom Lutheran Church in Alexandria with a Funeral Service at 11:00 AM at the church. Burial will be at Forest Hill Cemetery in Duluth.  Memorials are preferred to MNHS (Minnesota Historical Society).