After years of dishing drinks at Geez Bar – now BJ’s – in downtown Albertville, Michelle Bermel was looking for a change.
She found it on the open road, perhaps inspired by her former father-in-law, Cowboy Larry, the beloved bus driver from St. Michael-Albertville who drove the girls’ basketball teams for many years before he died nearly a decade ago.
Bermel had starting driving trucks, hitting the road for PCI – a St. Michael-based highway improvement company that has worked on massive projects all over the Midwest.
It was on a hot, clear day tackling this job that Michelle tragically was taken from us, at the too young age of 51. Her truck tire blew, sending her careening down an embankment just west of the the Interstate 90 and Interstate 35 interchange. The crash happened around 9:15 a.m. on June 28, and Michelle – a mother of of two and grandmother to two more – was gone. Authorities from Albert Lea, Mayo Clinic Ambulance and the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office attempted to rescue her, but she died at the scene of the crash.
“It was a completely different setting, but Michelle was so happy,” said one friend. “She had been driving and just loving it.”
Michelle had driven – like Larry – for Don’s Bus Service in addition to dishing out drinks. She lived her entire life in Albertville – graduating from STMA High School in 1990.
Funeral services for Michelle will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 6 at Alleluia Lutheran Church, 10401 30th Street NE, St. Michael, MN. Visitation will be at the church from 11 a.m. to the time of services on Thursday. Friends and family are invited to a unch following the service. Interment services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, July 7 at Bohemian Independent Cemetery in Glenwood, Minnesota.
Michelle enjoyed traveling, fishing, boating, camping, planting flowers, soaking up the sun, and spending time on the beach or poolside. There was always a high probability you could catch her uptown for bingo, meat raffle, showing support for benefits, or just hanging out with friends. You knew Michelle was present just from her laugh alone. She spent more time talking on the phone than she did sleeping, and your contact name had more to do with how she knew you than your actual name. She was so joy filled, honest, bull-headed, and undeniably authentic. She LOVED to decorate her Christmas tree and listen to Christmas music. She would leave her tree up from Thanksgiving to Valentines day and even watch ‘Christmas in July’ on the Hallmark channel. She loved her children and grandchildren. Her family was her whole world! Michelle also was fond of being at the farm “up home”.
She presently was employed by PCI Roads, and was ecstatic about her new job. Michelle formerly was employed at Don’s Bus Service and was a bartender at Geez, both in Albertville.
Michelle is survived by her loving children Brianna (Jared) Zachman and Conner (Tyra) Bermel; grandchildren Hunter and Destry; her mother Patrichia Kalina; sisters Kimberly (Rory) Norgren, Jodi (Greg) Zahler, Janel (Curt) Gentile and Debbie (Patrick) Kalina-Garaghty; significant other Theodore Zachman; former husband Chad Bermel; other relatives and many friends. Preceded in death by her father Franklin J. Kalina and by her father-in-law Larry Bermel.
Peterson Chapel Funeral Services are assisting the families.