Allen Wood Golberg

Allen's service will be livestreamed here: https://vimeo.com/event/2543304

Allen's tribute video can be viewed here. https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/RXND6LMDFG2JN354

Allen W. Golberg, age 99, died peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, at Bethany Homes in Fargo on Oct. 16, 2022. Allen was born on Aug. 3, 1923, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Fargo to Clara and Alvin Golberg of Horace, ND.

Allen’s family and friends knew him as a kind, loving, and generous man with a wonderful dry sense of humor; a Horace, ND native and a 1941 graduate of Fargo Central High. He was drafted in 1942 but got a release to work as a carpenter on a military base in Alaska. Following his work in Alaska he enlisted in the Army and applied for the Army Air Corps. His interest in flying stemmed from a $3 ride he got as a boy from a barnstorming pilot in Horace. He passed his initial tests in Fargo for flight school and was sent to Fort Snelling for further testing. As he later said: “They indicated I had a strength for math - that meant navigator - while I was hoping to be a pilot, I thought I’d rather be a navigator than a “gravel cruncher’. He eventually trained with B-17 bombers in Tampa, FL and was assigned to the Air Transport Command which took him to every theater of war during WWII.

After the war, Allen returned home to complete his B.S. degree majoring in Animal Husbandry at NDAC (NDSU). On December 17, 1949 he married Elaine (Rudd) of Fargo. They rented a farm near Gardner, ND and farmed for 5 years. In 1956 he got a job with the Near East Foundation as an agricultural development advisor based out of Rasht, Iran. In the early 1960’s Allen got a job with Great Plains Wheat in Washington, DC, doing international wheat marketing. From 1963 to 1970 he worked as the European Director for the U.S. Feed Grains Council based first out of Rome and later Rotterdam. In the 1970’s, Allen worked for Greater North Dakota Association and then became the Export Marketing Director for Steiger Tractor Co. setting up dealers in 34 countries. When Steiger was sold, he started his own export marketing company -International Marketing Systems - which his son, Jon and partner still own and operate. Allen was also a founding member of Mid America Consultants International. Allen retired in 1996 and he and Elaine moved to their retirement home on Pelican Lake where he enjoyed doing his lifelong hobby of carpentry. Throughout his life Allen was an active member of both his church, service clubs, and philanthropic organizations notably Lions, Kiwanis, and Village Family Services. Last but not least, Allen was an avid NDSU Bison fan - in fact, on the day before he passed away, he was fortunate to watch one last game.

In addition to his parents, Allen was preceded in death by his wife, Elaine, and three sisters - Birdie (Holmstrom), Gail (Flumerfelt) and Henriette (O’Dell). Surviving are three sons and a daughter - Dean, Steve (Denise), Jon and Julie; grandchildren, Andrew (Chelsa) and Jessica (Shaun) Kimber; seven great-grandchildren; many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins; and very dear friend and companion, Phyllis Peeples.

The family would like to thank the staff of Bethany and Ethos Hospice for their care and compassion.

Memorials may be sent to Cormorant Lutheran Church, First Lutheran Church of Fargo or a charity of your choice.