Bertha was born in Detroit, Michigan on November 3, 1926. She was the youngest of five children born to William and Emma Rippel. She attended Denby High School along with actor Wally Cox (voice of the cartoon's Underdog). Other notable alumni through the years include singer, Sonny Bono, televangelist Jack Van Impe, and actress Julie Harris. Bertha sang in the church choir, played the piano, bowled on a bowling team and ice skated. After graduation, she worked as an accountant at Parke Davis Pharmaceutical. She married and had four children. While the family was growing, they moved to Fort Wayne. She worked at Kmart's customer service desk, L.S. Ayres and retired from Lincoln National Life Insurance.

Her hobbies also included sewing, cake decorating and singing in choirs. She was a member of the Southmore Singers and the Lincoln Choiraliers. She sang in Ford's theatre in Washington, DC with the Lincoln Choiraliers where many senators and congress members were in attendance. Both choirs she sang in performed on local TV. She also crocheted newborn baby caps for local hospitals. She dearly loved traveling. On one such trip, she talked to actor Clint Eastwood while he was mayor of Carmel, California out west, it was surprising to find out that the 1910 Pendleton Rodeo was where the very first Rodeo Queen was crowned, and her name was Bertha Anger (no relation). Traveling well into retirement, she had been to all but two states.

Bertha is survived by her daughters, Lori (Dave) and Kathy (Rick); a son, Tim (Michele); six grandchildren, Jeremy, Brett, Zack, Matt, Sara and Emma; Seven great grandchildren, Olivia, Gavin, Ruthie, Willow, Azalea, Emilia and Brooks and one great-great grandson, Zane. She was preceded in death by her son, Ken Anger, grandson Thomas Wilson, granddaughter Shari Hudson and great grandson Gabe Hudson.

A music lover all her life, now in Heaven, she's probably playing a piano and singing "God be with you till we meet again", along with a Heavenly choir.

The funeral service will be at 1:00 pm, Thursday, August 7, 2025, at Covington Memorial Funeral Home, 8408 Covington Road, Fort Wayne, 46804. Visitation will be two hours prior to the service, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the funeral home. Burial will follow in Covington Memorial Gardens.