DODGE CITY - Edward Henry ("Eddie") Bergkamp passed away on December 30, 2022 in Tucson, Arizona. Eddie was born September 5, 1939 in San Bernardino, California, the eldest son of Mabel Gerber and Joseph Edward Bergkamp.

The family moved to Dodge City, when Eddie was a child. He attended Sacred Heart Cathedral and Saint Mary of the Plains High School, graduating in 1957. Eddie started working at McKinley-Winter sale barn at 14 years of age. This job was where he began learning the cattle business and led to his life-long career as a cattle trader. During Eddie's high school years, he loved participating in rodeos. He was very proud to receive his RCA card which enabled him to further his bull-riding career.

In 1961, Eddie was honored to be asked by the City of Dodge, along with Dave Trent, to represent the city in the inaugural parade for President John F. Kennedy. Eddie used to love to tell his grandkids about how he rode by train in the car with the horses all the way to Washington, D.C.

Throughout Eddie's long career, he was a regular at three or four cattle sales every week in Dodge City, Pratt, Woodward, Oklahoma, or other area towns. He also invested in bucking bulls and race horses, and loved helping up-and-coming young cowboys with funds and words of wisdom. Eddie traveled from Dodge to Las Vegas to Calgary and everywhere in between to follow the rodeo circuit, horse races and his many cowboy friends. Everywhere he went, he had friends, from other cattlemen to stock contractors to rodeo clowns to contestants, and was always ready to lend a hand or some encouragement whenever he could help.

Eddie is survived by four of his children, Shawn (Charles) Nicholson, Kamy (Kevin) Cunningham, Kim (Kevin) McGee and Cody (Nancy) Bergkamp, seven grandchildren Kameran and Jeremiah (Sarae) Nicholson, Justin Racette, Colton Cunningham, Chelsea (Mark) Brown and Cody and Devin Bergkamp, and three great-grandchildren, Raegan, Keldyn and Kainon, his beloved cattle dog, Bobbie Sue; a niece and two nephews, including Brian Bergkamp, whom Eddie especially enjoyed mentoring in the cattle business, and many dear friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Neil, and his eldest son, Troy.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, April 22, 2023 beginning at 5:30 p.m., with supper served at 6:00 p.m., at the "I Don't Care Family Center," 1510 West Spruce, Dodge City, KS 67801. The family suggests, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to support the "Cole Hudson Memorial Scholarship Fund", 1485 Bumpy Road, Sharon Springs, KS 67758.