Frank E. Berdan

August 10, 1922 - January 27, 2020

Frank Elmer Berdan passed away on January 27th. He was born on August 10, 1922, to Frank L. and Edna K. Berdan of Wenatchee, WA. Frank attended school in Wenatchee up thru the 10th grade when he left to go to work on farms in the Colockum Creek Area to help support his (2) brothers and (1) sister after his father passed away from a burst appendix. Frank worked on ranches owned by the Fulwiler's and the Ingersol's where a portion of his pay was room and board, and the cash went to his mother. On February 3, 1941, Frank was inducted into Battery "H” of the 205th Coastal Artillery and then assigned to Company “B” 306th Engineers in the Western Pacific where he was involved in building airplane landing strips on Leyte and Philipene Islands. While enlisted in the Army he met and married Wanda J. Murren on June 18th, 1943. After his honorable discharge from the Army on June 30, 1945, he operated some construction equipment for local contractors and in April 1946 he joined the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302. He first started a small company called Berdan and Sons, and then later joined with Graves and Burke Construction, and then Selland Construction Company. His work included many pipeline jobs, Rock Island Dam, Rocky Reach Dam, Grand Coulee Dam, and Odibashion Bridge construction and several miles of high line tower installations. While working construction Frank purchased a 27 acre cherry orchard on Wenatchee Heights which he and his family operates to this day. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Wanda; and son, David; and he is survived by his sons, Dennis and wife, Sharon, Donald and wife, Kay; daughter, Pam and husband, Mike Sachs; seven grandchildren, two step-grandchildren; and eleven great-grandchildren. A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, February 4 at 1:00 pm at Wenatchee City Cemetery. There will be a Celebration of Frank’s life at 3 P.M. Saturday, February 29, 2020 at the Beehive Grange. In lieu of flowers, donations on Frank's behalf may be made to Wenatchee Heights 4-H Club or the Bee Hive Grange