Virgil Mathew Burger, 83, of Thief River Falls, MN, passed away peacefully the evening of January 19, 2014 at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, ND, from Alzheimer's, surrounded by his family. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, January 25, 2014 at St. Bernard's Catholic Church in Thief River Falls, MN with Father Rick Lambert presiding. Burial will follow at St. Bernard's Catholic Church in Thief River Falls. Visitation will be held from 5PM - 7PM with a 7:00 PM Prayer Service followed by the Knights of Columbus Rosary on Friday, January 24, 2014 at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, MN. Visitation will also be held one hour prior to the funeral service at the church on Saturday. Virgil was born August 27, 1930 in Rockville, MN to Adolph and Magdalena (Niedhardt) Burger. He attended John Clark Elementary in Rockville, MN and graduated from St. Cloud Cathedral High School. As a young man, Virgil played amateur baseball in Rockville, MN, leading the Lakewood league in hitting in 1949 with a 447 average. Virgil obtained a BS in History and Social Science from St. Cloud State University in 1951 and later obtained his Library Science degree. He taught in Holloway, Holdingford and was a Librarian at Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls, MN for 28 years. For many of these years, he also coached football, basketball, and baseball. In 1975, Virgil was named Pennington County High School Teacher of the year. Virgil married Bernelda Dietman October 11, 1951 at Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church in Rockville, MN. Together they raised 4 children. Virgil was an avid MN Twins and Vikings fan and loved a round of golf with his friends. After retirement, Virgil & Bernie enjoyed winters in Mesa, AZ. He was a member of St. Bernard's Church, Golden Pioneers and a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus having served as Financial Secretary for 24 years. Virgil is survived by his wife of 62 years, Bernelda Burger. Children: Linda (Steve) Larson of Grafton, ND; Brenda (Rande) Smith of Little Falls, MN; Tom (Brad Rystedt) Burger of Wilton Manors, FL; & Ann Olimb of Warroad, MN. Grandchildren: Tony (Sherry) Larson, Rob (Angie) Larson, Abby Larson, Ben (Jaclyn) Smith, Blake (Stacy) Smith, Eric (Jessie Dugdale) Olimb, Melissa Olimb & Lindsay Olimb. Great grandchildren: Russell Smith and Austin Larson. Virgil was preceded in death by his parents; brother & sister-in-law, Gene & Rita Burger; infant sister, Betty Jane Burger; and great-grandson, William Anthony Larson. Memorials are preferred to the TRF Education Foundation or St. Bernard's Catholic School.