Fiancé mourns loss of receptionist killed in explosion

Ruth Berg didn’t just work at Minnehaha Academy the past 17 years, she also lived mere blocks from the school.

The 47-year-old receptionist was confirmed to have been killed Wednesday morning when an explosion rocked the building on the school’s upper campus.

The explosion could be felt at the home she shared with fiancé Mark Burrington, who said he raced from the house toward the school after he heard the blast.

But when he got to the spot of the building at which he knew she worked, it was gone.

“I’m just devastated,” he said Wednesday afternoon. “I don’t know what to think or feel. I’m just lost.”

Burrington said he and Berg were each other’s first crush back in third grade and had reconnected a few years ago. They were scheduled to be married next month.

A Facebook post from the school said Berg’s presence will be missed.

“As our receptionist, she welcomed everyone with a smile and was always willing to go the extra mile to help our students, families, and staff,” the post read in part. “She will be greatly missed. Please keep Ruth’s family, and our school community, in your prayers.”