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June K. Berg's Stained Glass Window Memorials

   June Rolstad Berg 1993

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June K. (Rolstad) Berg has two stained glass window memorials in the Holy Spirit Chapel at the Benedictine Health Center at Innsbruck, New Brighton, MN. The first window for June was secured in December of 2006..."The Heart of Love" window...this was June's personal memory window...In January 2007 the large "Holy Trinity" window was added, also in June's memory and in addition it was in memory of my mother Ellen as well as all the "World's Victims of Alzheimer's." Eventually smaller personal individual windows were added for my mother Ellen, my father Tom, our son David and June's parents Haldis and Henry Rolstad for a total of seven (7) memorial stained glass windows.

June was a resident in the Villa (Alzheimer’s wing) of the Benedictine Health Center Nursing Home at Innsbruck from March 24th, 2006 until God called her home Thursday October 23rd, 2008.

The Holy Spirit Chapel has a set of three stained glass windows. High up on the east wall of the Chapel just behind the alter there is a large half moon shaped section of three stained glass windows. This large stained glass window (a span of several feet) is called the “HolyTrinity Window.”  It is divided into three sections.  (Left, right and center sections.) The total width of all three sections is approx. 10.23 feet (122.75 inches) at the widest point by approx. 4.3 feet high at the center.

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(Below is a photo of the large Holy Trinity Window - Center third is the section dedicated to my wife June K. Berg and to my mother Ellen  F. Silbaugh and to all of the World Wide Victims of Alzheimer's.)

        June's Chapel Window

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The necessary donations have been made  to the Innsbruck Foundation to cover the cost of the center section of the "Holy trinity Window.” This is the larger of the three sections and contains a white dove to depict the Holy Spirit. The donations confer the privilege of designating the window in honor and memory of a loved one. This window has been designated to be in honor and memory of my wife June K. Berg and to my mother Ellen F. Silbaugh as well as to all of the World Wide Victims of Alzheimer’s.

 

A plaque on the wall under the window reads:

 

 In Honor and Memory of my wife June K. Berg and my mother Ellen  F.    Silbaugh, both victims of Alzheimer’s. It is also in memory of the millions of World Wide Victims of Alzheimer’s with the prayer that God will grant them all Peace.   

                                          Stan Berg and the Berg Family” 

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In addition the two side walls are banks of windows. The right or south wall has12 windows in a design called the “Tree of Life Window.” The north or left side wall also has a bank of 12 windows called the “Heart of Love Window.” Each individual window is 18 inches wide by 25-1/2 inches tall.

The necessary donations were made to the Innsbruck Foundation to cover the cost of two of the individual windows in the north wall or the Heart of Love Window.” The selected window contains the greater portion of a large red heart. This window is dedicated in honor and memory of my wife June K. Berg. Just immediately above and to the left of this window is the other window that is dedicated in honor and memory of my mother Ellen F. (Nedland) Silbaugh.

 

(Below right is June's "Heart of Love Window" -  Window is 18" by 25-1/2".)

June's Heart of Love window

The heart window has a plaque on the frame under the window that reads:

“In Honor and Memory of June K. Berg Loving Wife, Mother, Grandmother and Friend.    Stan, a forever grateful husband”

 

The window above and to the left of this window has a plaque under it that reads:

 

 “In Memory of Ellen F. (Nedland) Silbaugh (14 December 1908 – 21 October 2007) A Loving Mother, Grandmother and Wife. – My Cheerful Moral Compass – Stan, a grateful son.” 

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The artist who designed the windows is Dietrich Spahn, a well known stained glass Liturgical artist. Spahn prepared an “Artist’s Impressions” (below) of the windows that he designed and created:

                                      

          "Holy Trinity Window" 


"The semi-Circular window facing east, where the sun rises anew each day. This window depicts the three Holy Deities of Christianity

 

                                           The Father and Creator of all things,

                                         God’s Son, the human face of God, and

                                    The Holy Spirit, the love of God who dwells in us.

 

Trinity implies the elements of community, unity and mystery.

In the center of the window is the Holy Spirit depicted as a dove. The seven white and red flames represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit – wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. A golden shape surrounds the dove like a halo and water flows from it to earth, like the waters of baptism, which unite is with the risen Christ and all Christians. A rainbow flowing from the golden shape refers to God’s covenant with humankind, through Noah, that a flood will never again destroy the world. The red rose symbolized Jesus and his limitless love for us. But alas, roses have thorns, and his suffering was great.

                                         "Heart of Love Window" 


This window has a meditative feeling and is intended for the viewer to reflect inward; therefore the colors are warm and comforting. The window has in its center a heart out of which flows love, in the form of a tiny branch. The heart shaped form continues to expand in a circular motion symbolizing everlasting love. God’s love for us limitless and begs to be shared."

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On November 26th, 2007, all of the stained glass windows in the Holy Spirit Chapel were blessed in a special ceremony by Archbishop John C. Nienstedt. Part of the blessing involved the sprinkling of "Holy Water" on the windows.

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For information on Dieterich Spahn, the designer and artist and his 40 years of producing "Liturgical" stained glass windows, click on the below link to connect to his web site.:

"Dieterich Spahn Associates Inc."

 

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Purple AngelJune and Stan were both appointed as Purple Angel World Dementia Ambassadors  (October 2013) for the purpose of promoting world wide awareness of Alzheimer's and the dementia diseases. Such an awareness will in turn  promote funding for research to find a cure and to promote proper care practices. June was appointed an honorary Purple Angel Ambassador with Stan as her representative in order to promote her many  charitable programs that all have an Alzheimer's and dementia awareness connection. June is the only resident of Heaven to have received this honor...and who actually lives among the Angels...The Purple Angel world headquarters is in Devon, United Kingdom.

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Reader's Comments

Jacqueline Crowther  - Manchester, United Kingdom - (15 January 2014): "How lovely Stan..i could just do with a place like that in my life right now, how lovely those stained glass windows are beautiful and a very fine tribute."

Amy Stiel Almas - Waterford, Michigan - (15 January 2014):"I make stained glass windows but nothing compared to this. What a wonderful gift that will be a lasting memory!"

Gwen Bush  - Bevercreek, Oregon - (15 January 2014): "Just lovely it's nice to know our prayers are being heard thank you for sharing. I have been to Paris France and seen the stained glass in the upper Cathedral at Sainte Chapelle it was breathtaking but your stained glass means more to me it hits so close to home. Thank you."

Bernadette Brady  - Dublin, Ireland - (16 January 2014): "Thank you for remembering all the victims of Alzheimer's and their caregivers. What a wonderful thing to do. How wonderful that my Mom is prayed for there. That gives me such comfort. Today I will remember June and you and David and all your family by visiting the prayer chapel in moms hospital in Dublin. Thank you."

Pam Goodwin  - Perth, Western Australia - (16 January 2014): "That is beautiful Stanton...precious memories."

Nancy Carrillo  - New Bedford, Massachusetts - (16 Janaury 2014): "That is really beautiful."

Marjo VanderStokker Hadfield  - Sherwood, Arkansas - (16 January 2014):"What a beautiful gift. I love stained glass windows."

 

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June's Passing

June 1994

After an almost 12 year journey into the shadows of Alzheimer's, early one morning in late October 2008, an exhausted June felt God's gentle touch on her shoulder and heard the words: "Come Home June!" As June lay like a wounded soldier on a battlefield, it was God's Angels that ushered June into a Heavenly Kingdom to the sound of a chorus of Angels...and into June's new home, a "Mansion on the Hilltop", where there is no pain, nor illness nor tears...June's funeral notice as published in the Minneapolis Star in October 2008 can be seen on this website in the drop down menu under the "In Memoriam" label - just Click on:

 

"June K. (Rolstad) Berg - In Memoriam"