Shauna Frances Thomas was born on February 9, 1949, in Watertown, South Dakota, to John and Ruth Thomas, Shauna was the youngest of four children and was born on her brother's third birthday. She was raised on a farm north of Watertown and attended country school for eight years. She attended Watertown High School and graduated in 1967. She then attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, and graduated with a degree in music education. She met Ken Bergenheier at Concordia in 1967, and they dated for three years. They were married in Watertown on May 2, 1970.

Shauna taught music in Milnor, North Dakota, for three years before moving to Fairview, Montana. She taught as a music educator for three years in Sidney, Montana, and for an additional 27 years in Fairview. The Bergenheiers were blessed with three children: Harmon (born 1975), Marnee (born 1979), and Hayley (born 1984).

Shauna enjoyed reading, playing piano, singing in church groups, and playing sports. She taught piano lessons to hundreds of students and was still teaching up to the time of her passing.

A caring, compassionate, and loving person, she tried to help those in need. She loved animals and always had a cat. Her cat had a variety of cat food and was always given treats. She loved to pet and hold them.

With a love of travel, Shauna had been to all 50 states, all presidential libraries, and had been to Europe twice. She and Ken loved to go to Arizona for the warm winter weather and became very involved in their Church. She enjoyed helping others declutter, clean, and organize their homes.

She played piano for many church services at Zion Lutheran and the Sidney Methodist Church. She accompanied Ken's high school choir and Pop Singers group and played piano for many soloists and small ensembles at district and state music festivals. She sang in the acapella group Renana and loved hearing the beautiful harmonies of acapella music.

She loved the Lord and spent an hour each day studying devotions and engaging in prayer. She was a strong Christian who tried to live out the life that Jesus taught.

Shauna passed away suddenly on Thursday, June 26, 2025, from a bout with lung disease at the age of 76. She was loved and will be missed by all who knew her.

Shauna is survived by her husband, Ken, of 55 years; her three children Harmon (Brianna) Bergenheier of Victoria, Minnesota, Marnee (Tim) Averett of Sidney, Montana, and Hayley Bergenheier of Fairview, Montana; two sisters Jacqueline Teisberg of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Carol (Larry) Larrabee of Madison, Wisconsin; sisters-in-law Marilyn Thomas of Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Kathi Bergenheier of St. Paul, Minnesota; five grandchildren Jarret, Blake, Collins, Kale, and Bode; and several nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death were her parents John and Ruth Thomas, her brother John Lynn Thomas, parents-in-law John and Helen Bergenheier, niece Lisa Brookshire, and sister-in-law Karolyn Bergenheier.

Memorial Contribution