Tuesday, July 6th, 1948 – Monday, January 12th, 2026
Charlene Mabel Bergene, of Osawatomie, Kansas, passed away on January 12, 2026, after a long battle with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
She was born July 6, 1948, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to Isabel and James Ray. Raised on the family farm, she learned the values of hard work, service, and faith at an early age. She was active in 4-H, earning many achievements, and later pursued a degree in home economics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
While attending UW, Charlene met Robert “Bob” Bergene. They were married on October 11, 1969, sharing more than 56 years of marriage until her passing. Together they lived in Wisconsin, Illinois, Oklahoma, and ultimately spent over 40 years in Kansas. In her later years, Bob faithfully and lovingly cared for Charlene as her primary caretaker in the home.
Charlene was a gentle and caring soul, a devoted wife, and a loving mother to three children: Scott, Renee, and Julie. She cherished her years as a homemaker while her children were young, and later worked at Prange’s department store, the Pizza Hut corporate office, the Gardner Edgerton School District as a kindergarten aide, and at the Olathe Medical Center in the cafeteria.
For more than five decades, Charlene was an integral part of Bergene Rabbitry, supporting the family’s rabbit hobby and traveling to local and national shows across the country, which most of the time were paired with family vacations. She and Bob also served as 4-H rabbit project leaders in Sedgwick and Johnson Counties for many years, mentoring youth with patience and encouragement. Charlene enjoyed crocheting, baking, and faithfully serving within her church community,
Charlene was preceded in death by her parents and her son, Scott Bergene (1993). She is survived by her husband, Robert Bergene; daughters Renee Frias (Overland Park, Kansas) and Julie Clover (Lawrence, Kansas); and her beloved grandchildren, Lucas and Gabriella Frias, and Collin Clover, who were a great joy and blessing in her life. She is also survived by her sister Annette Glaser (Oregon, Wisconsin), and brothers Randy Ray (Newland, North Carolina) and Curtis Ray (Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin).
Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 18, 2026, at Bruce Funeral Home, 106 S. Center, Gardner, Kansas. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 19, 2026, at First Presbyterian Church, 138 E. Shawnee, Gardner, Kansas, with interment to follow next to son Scott at Gardner Cemetery, Gardner, Kansas. Condolences may be left at www.brucefuneralhome.com.
Obituary published by Bruce Funeral Home.
