Bernita Bohnenstingl

Bernita Bohnenstingl, age 90, of Wheaton, Minnesota passed away December 16, 2017 at Traverse Care Center in Wheaton.
Funeral Services will be held Friday, December 22, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at St. John Lutheran Church in Wheaton with Rev. Michael Breach officiating. Special music by Ken & Linda Hodgson and Lisa Winter.

Interment will be in St. John Lutheran Cemetery, rural Wheaton. Pallbearers will be Bruce Bohnenstingl, Steven Bohnenstingle, Glenn Koch, Ken Hodgson, Alan Petersen and Marty Petersen.

Visitation will be held Friday, December 22nd from 10:00 a.m. until service time at 11:00 a.m. at the church.

Bernita Delores Petersen was born on December 10, 1927 to Hans Martin Petersen and Sophie Marie (Koch) Petersen. Bernita was the youngest of three children, her older siblings being Melva (Petersen) Winter and Roy Petersen.

Bernita was baptized and confirmed at St. John's Lutheran Church in Wheaton, Minnesota.

She received her early education in Country School at District 52 in Traverse County and then went on to finish high school in Wheaton.

After high school Bernita began working as a bookkeeper for Erickson-Hellickson-Vye, a lumber yard company whose offices were in Wheaton.

In 1948 she married Kenneth Bohnenstingl, and they were blessed with two children, Bruce in 1950 and Steven in 1956. While the boys were growing up, Bernita was a stay-at-home mom. After they were grown, Bernita again worked for the lumber company. After Kenny's death in 1982 Bernita worked at the Wheaton Hospital in the Housekeeping Department.

Bernita loved to travel and was able to make many enjoyable trips in her life. She traveled to most of the fifty states including Alaska, as well as taking trips to many European countries, her favorite of which was Ireland. She loved to tell stories and to show pictures of her trips!

She also loved to read (Bernita read her way through much of the Wheaton Library!) and to play cards. Bernita belonged to multiple Bridge groups and enjoyed the friendships and fun of each of them!

Bernita had a wry sense of humor and a great memory. She was a source of information about names and places and history until her very last days.

Bernita will be greatly missed.

She was preceded in death by her parents Martin and Sophie, her husband Kenneth, and her sister Melva.

Bernita is survived by her sons, Bruce (Teresa Marrone) of Minneapolis, MN; and Steven of Hernando Beach, FL; her grandson Bryan (Ashley) Bohnenstingle of Waconia, MN; granddaughter Jesse Sanz of Isanti, MN; her great grandchildren Eli, Braelyn and Lillian; and by her brother and sister-in-law, Roy and Mavis Petersen of Wheaton.

Memorials are requested to be given to the Wheaton Community Library in memory of Bernita.