Bernadine E. Wessels

Bernie was an amazing mother who ran a loving household with frolicking playfulness, exacting precision and the unending spirit of “The Energizer Bunny!” She was also a tough disciplinarian and instilled a strong work ethic in each of us. Her house, vegetable and flower gardens, and yard were lovingly tended and impeccably maintained. She was incredibly talented and creative. Being an accomplished seamstress was a “must” raising six daughters and four sons. There were Saturday afternoon trips to The Vogue Shop to show her the perfect dresses needed for the many proms. She would copy the style creating those gowns from scratch, even making her own patterns. She spent countless hours designing and sewing dresses, suits, formals and sportswear for her children. Additionally, she loved to crochet and produced hundreds of Christmas ornaments, an entire Christmas village, sweaters, hats, blankets and golf club covers. Her culinary skills were on par with any chef — delicious holiday meals, wedding feasts and party fare. Her tables were beautifully set and complemented with lovely centerpieces created from her prolific gardens or a seasonal theme. When it came to homemade jerky, cinnamon rolls, cookies and holiday candies, Bernie was incomparable. Her house was always open to friends, family and her children’s legion of friends. Her greatest joy was serving countless dinners and hosting numerous parties with a spread that equaled a buffet at The Ritz. She always judged the boyfriends by how much they ate, and to her dying day she was still trying to feed us.