Eric Bergland

In alignment with the close of the year, Eric Bergland died on December 31, 2025 in Twin Falls, Idaho. Born in 1947 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Eric was the second child of Oscar and Charity (née Roys) Bergland. He leaves behind his beloved wife, artist Sally Metcalf, son Alan Olav Bergland (Louella Hill) and grandsons, Langston Olav Bergland and Abel Olav Bergland. Also surviving Eric are his older sister Christen (late husband Joe) Bement, his younger sister Melissa (Daniel) Burnham, three cherished nieces, two fantastic nephews, a host of close-knit Bergland/Roys cousins, and life-long friends. All have many happy memories of his kindness, his humor, and most of all, his loving nature.

Most of Eric's early years were spent in Mason, Michigan on a small farm. He made the granary into a clubhouse where no girls were allowed, guarded by neighbor boys and special cousins. He enjoyed playing outdoor sports like softball with his family, and fishing with his dad. The family also had a cottage in northern Michigan on Indian Lake where they enjoyed time together.

His family moved to Rockford, Michigan in his teen years, and he graduated from Rockford High in 1965.

At age 18, Eric joined the Marines. He served in Vietnam from July 1966 to April 1969 and was awarded a Purple Heart and a Navy Commendation Medal with Valor. He struggled for the rest of his life from war wounds.

In 1981, Eric became a father. He once said to a niece, "Being Alan's father is the best thing that ever happened to me". In 1981 Eric earned a Master's in Anthropology from University of Arizona, and started a career in archeology that brought him to the Northwest. For the bulk of his career, he worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Willamette National Forest out of the Blue River and McKenzie Ranger stations. He took pride in his work with the native peoples of the Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde and Warm Springs.

Eric was passionate about ancestry, and the archeology and customs of native peoples, especially the Sami People of northern Scandinavia. Eric was a highly skilled knife maker and produced hundreds of knives in the Finnish, Sami, and Norwegian styles. Together with Sally, Eric made a home in Blue River, OR and Hailey, ID, becoming part of the art community wherever they went. In his memory, we invite you to go on your own internet

archeological dig to see if you can find an Eric Bergland puukko. If it is authentic, the knife will be stamped "EB". If it is good looking, it is undoubtedly an Eric Olav Bergland original.