Neoma J. Berg

Neoma J. Berg, 79, of 1260 South Main Street Extension, Jamestown, died at 8:10 p.m. Monday (February 14, 2000) in WCA Hospital.

A Jamestown native, she was born June 30, 1920, the daughter of Charles and Cora Petrie Johnson.

She was a 1938 graduate of Jamestown High School and a 1942 graduate of Cortland State University, where she majored in physical education. Her graduate work was completed at Syracuse, St. Bonaventure, State College at Brockport and State College at Fredonia.

Her teaching career in physical education began in Clyde, NY, where she taught from 1942 to 1947. She came back to the area teaching at Falconer Central School from 1947 to 1954. She continued her teaching career at Southwestern Central School from 1960 until her retirement in 1981. She coached the first Southwestern Lady Trojans softball team and led them to five straight league titles and a Section 6 Class B title and for 21 years directed the Southwestern Gym Club.

She was an outstanding tennis player, winning 19 Jamestown city championships from 1933 to1961, and the Chautauqua County titles in 1957 and 1958. She helped organize the Western New York Tennis Tournament and taught skiing at Allegany State Park. She was involved in the Junior Olympics, the Southwestern Ski Club, volleyball and track officiating and motocross. She was a 4-H horse show announcer and scorekeeper and was a 4-H leader of the Kiantone Kavaliers. Because of all her athletic achievements, she was the second woman enshrined in the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame in 1989.

Surviving are her husband David Berg, whom she married August 29, 1951; a daughter Siri Lawson of Kiantone; a son, Dr. D. Christian Berg of Tallahassee, FL; two grandsons: David Christian Berg and Jack Ellsworth Berg, both of Talahassee; and two brothers: Duane Johnson of Jamestown and Dr. Kenneth Johnson of Lumberton, NC.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by a sister, Mildred Miller.

A memorial service will be held at 8 p.m. today in the Kiantone Congregational Church. The Rev. Raymond L. McGinnis, interim pastor, will officiate.

Friends will be received one hour prior to the service in the church.

Memorials may be made to the WCA Foundation Inc., P.O. Box 214, Jamestown, NY, 14702-9990.

Arrangements are by Lind Funeral Home.