Lori Berger Remembered in Special Way at Czhilispiel

Former Flatonia mayor, businesswoman and civic leader Lori Berger died at Dell Seaton Medical Center in Austin on Friday, Oct. 28, following a brief illness. She was 63 years old.

“Lori loved Flatonia and she loved Fayette County,” said Berger’s brother, Carl Mica. “She just loved giving back to the community. She was devoted to the people here.”

Berger served as Mayor of Flatonia from 1998 to 2006. She also served on the boards of Fayette Memorial Hospital and later St. Marks Hospital. Berger was co-chair of Flatonia Czhilispiel and was honored as Czhilispiel parade Marshall three years ago. She was a member of the Flatonia ISD Education Foundation and Flatonia Chamber of Commerce. She was co-owner of Smith Farms. She was also the previous co-owner of the Wishing Well and, more recently, the Wine Haus restaurant on Main Street in Flatonia.

Berger was also a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Flatonia.

“She appreciated everyone’s views, ideas and opinions,” Mica said “She was willing to hear anything that would help the County and the City move forward.”

Berger was not only a local civic leader. She also served on several regional and state commissions. In 2009, she was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the board of the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), and she was reappointed to that position by Governor Greg Abbott in 2015. She continued to serve until retiring from LCRA in January of this year. During her time on the board, she chaired the Community Development Committee.

Earlier this year, Berger ran for Fayette County Judge in the Republican primary election, coming in third place out of a field of four. Unsurprisingly, her biggest base of support came in her hometown of Flatonia.

“She was just one person in the community, but she wanted to do all she could,” Mica added. “She knew a lot of people who put their best foot forward for Flatonia, La Grange, Schulenburg and every other town in the County, and she just wanted to do her part. It wasn’t about her, it was about what everybody could do together to make the community great as a whole.”

Berger’s death occurred on the first day of the Flatonia Czhilispiel, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.

“It was a date that meant something to her,” Mica said. “Our parents helped start Czhilispiel 50 years ago to help raise money to get a doctor in Flatonia. She carried on that tradition of working, being involved and being engaged.”

The Flatonia City Hall staff honored Berger with a memorial on their float in the Czhilispiel parade on Sunday. A black ribbon hung on the door of the Wine Haus, her business in downtown.

“Her name is synonymous with Flatonia,” said long-time friend and fellow Czhilispiel volunteer Kirby Farek. A Rosary service will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, located at 516 Faires Street in Flatonia. A funeral Mass will be held at Sacred Heart at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 2, with burial to follow at the Sacred Heart Cemetery Mausoleum in Flatonia.