John's Story - Grace

"Give us this day our daily bread" Matthew 6:11 

"Grace" by Eric Enstrom

In the late1930’s my mother, Sylvia Berg (Lien), worked for Toburen’s photography studio in Wausau, Wisconsin. She told about a photography contest to be based on the famous American photograph “Grace”.  Her boss asked her if she knew a “good, Christian man” who would sit for the photo to be entered in the contest. 

Right away she thought of her grandfather, John P. Berg. He sat for the photo, and it was entered into the contest.

The new rendition of “Grace” received honorable mention only because, according to the judges, he should not have been wearing a suit and tie. Mom claims that her grandfather wouldn’t think of having his photo taken in anything but his “Sunday best”.  Had he worn a work shirt, we may have had an award-winning photo in our family.

Our Great-aunts Jennie and Hannah Berg displayed the original photo of their father in their home. Copies were made for family members, and subsequent generations have hung the photo in kitchens and dining rooms …even though none of us, now living, ever knew John Berg.

After Mom passed away, I had both her copy and mine. On a whim, I packed one up and sent it with Judy and Kirsten Hansen to take to our family living on John Berg’s original homestead in Norway. 

I think Mom would have liked that.