Marjorie Ann Bergen passed away on Saturday, March 23 in St. Louis, Missouri. Marge was born in New Brunswick, NJ to John and Norma Ziegler, and grew up in Spring Lake, NJ where she shared her father’s love of the ocean, despite her tendency for seasickness. She studied nursing and spent a number of years in Massachusetts before moving back to the Jersey Shore area, where she met her (ex-)husband, Joseph Bergen, while scuba diving in Shark River Inlet. Marge and Joseph had one daughter and two sons with whom they initially lived in Brick Township, NJ before moving with them back to her childhood home in Spring Lake. 

Marge had a wide variety of interests and careers that took her on many adventures, including nursing, photography, stained glass crafting, scuba diving, skiing, and flying airplanes. She held jobs as a nurse in assisted living homes and the Ocean County Correctional Facility and as a school bus driver for Wall Township Public Schools for over ten years. Upon moving to St. Louis, she further pursued her interest in stained glass and sold her works at various craft shows and fairs.

Marge was also a lover of both animals and plants; in earlier years, she was active in several cat show associations, proudly showing award-winning Scottish Folds and Balinese, among others. More importantly, Marge’s passion for animals and plants meant that she provided a loving home for dozens of cats, dogs, fish, birds, and plants throughout her life. She will be fondly remembered for her dry sense of humor, artistic creativity, and compassion for animals.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Kara and Brian Rauch, and her son and son-in-law, Steve Bergen and Judson Richardson.