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Ralph was born on August 8, 1940 to Percy and Nina Bergquist, in Camrose Alberta. He was the second of five children. His siblings are Adrian, Carol, Judy and Lawrence. They were raised on the family farm near Bawlf, Alberta. He took most of his schooling in Bawlf, and went on to get his Bachelor of Education and Graduate Diploma in Education at the University of Alberta. Ralph married Angela Fuernkranz, and they raised three children, Linda born in 1962, Grant born in 1963, and Lester born in 1971. He had four grandchildren, Alana, Hayley, Jasmine, and Tarah. Tarah resided with Ralph and Ruth from the time her mother died until she moved to Edmonton last fall.

Ralph taught high school in various locations in Alberta, among them Bow Island, Red Deer, Fairview, Concordia College Edmonton, Fort Assiniboine and as Principal at Czar. He taught school for 24 years. Ralph placed a high value on the desire and ability to learn. He felt it was a very useful tool that applied to many aspects of life, and it served him well throughout his life. Ralph really loved children, and spent many enjoyable hours with his children and grandchildren on his lap reading to them. In fact, his favourite short course in university was Children’s Literature. The family has fond memories of the many times they went downhill skiing. Ralph decided to change careers and bought a farm near Hay Lakes, Alberta. He ran a mixed farm, raising hogs and beef cattle, and grain. For a time Ralph undertook a family gravel trucking business, and later drove gravel truck, long haul into the United States, and milk truck around Edmonton area. Ralph’s desire to learn led to him spending a couple of years studying the bible with Jehovahs Witnesses, an endeavour which resulted in him being baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in July of 2003.

Ralph married Ruth Rundberg on January 8, 2005. They resided at his farm near Hay Lakes until 2009, when they moved to the farm where Ruth was raised near Brightsand Lake, Saskatchewan. He repeatedly expressed appreciation for the peaceful location of the farmstead near Brightsand Lake. The heritage home needed a complete renovation. Ralph was adamant that it be done even though he was taking chemo treatments, and it was almost complete when he died. He also undertook to brush and break a quarter of land and bring it into production, which he did manage to accomplish. He very much appreciated the enormous help that family and friends were to getting these projects from goal to reality. Ralph focused on dealing with the present rather than fretting over the “what-ifs” of the future – an attitude that certainly helped him cope with his almost 8 year battle with cancer.

Ralph was one who enjoyed many different things, and trying new things. He was an avid reader, with a special fondness for biology. He loved fishing, the night sky, and jigsaw puzzles. He was known to take an old piece of machinery, and work on it until it was again a useful piece of equipment, turning “a sow’s ear into a silk purse” as he would say. As a couple Ralph and Ruth really enjoyed cross country skiing.

Ralph’s study of the bible enabled him to understand what the Kingdom of God is, that it is a heavenly government ruling over the earth, and that it will bring much sought after perfect health and peace to the earth. Very dear to his heart was the understanding of the resurrection of the dead back to life into that peaceful new world. It enabled him to cope with his long battle with cancer with something real to look forward to. In fact, just minutes before he died he was reading his bible. His favourite scripture was the 23rd Psalm.