Russell Theodore “Rusty” Berg, 82, of Misquah, died Tuesday, May 6, 2026, at his home on Whitefish Road, which is where he had wanted to be. For forty winters he plowed his neighbors’ driveways before dawn and never once sent a bill.

He was born July 14, 1943, in Misquah, the son of Theodore and Helen (Lindqvist) Berg, and graduated from Lakeside High School in 1961, where he played center on a basketball team still spoken of, mostly by him. He married Joanne Pfeiffer in 1965; she survives him, as does, his children note, the 1978 Oliver tractor he loved nearly as well and maintained considerably better.

Rusty farmed corn and soybeans on the home place his whole life, but the town knew him best for what he did after the snow fell. Beginning sometime in the 1980s and continuing through this past winter, he rose before light after every storm and cleared the driveways of the widows, the elderly, and anyone else he privately judged to need it — a list he kept in his head and discussed with no one. He refused payment so consistently that people stopped offering money and started leaving pie, which he accepted, being no fool.

He is survived by his wife, Joanne; by three children, Bruce (Karen) Berg of Misquah, Lisa (Mark) Solum of Alexandria, and Greg Berg of Duluth; by seven grandchildren; and by a township of clear driveways. Funeral services will be held Friday, May 9, at 11 a.m. at First Lutheran Church, the Rev. Karl Lindholm officiating. Memorials may be directed to the Misquah volunteer fire department. The family asks only that, the next time it snows, you clear a neighbor’s driveway and tell no one. Rusty would have called that square.