Lien Funeral Home
Bernice Schlecht, 86, Aberdeen, died Tuesday, January 4, 2022 at Avera Mother Joseph Manor, Aberdeen.
Bernice Darlene Schmidtgall, daughter of Katie (Schilling) and William C. Schmidtgall, was born April 22, 1935 north of Lowry in Walworth County. This is where she was brought up and attended rural school. Bernice married Fred Schlecht at Bowdle on January 10, 1954. The couple first settled on the Schlecht farm SE of Java. In 1960 they relocated to Bowdle. Bernice kept busy with her six children and also worked at the Bowdle School, first in the kitchen and later as a custodian. She later took a job at the Bowdle Healthcare Center, first as a Nurse's Aide and then in the laundry department. In retirement she worked at the Bowdle Senior Citizens Center, where she especially enjoyed the companionship of those around her. In the summer of 2018, Bernice relocated to Aberdeen where she lived the rest of her life. She was a faithful member of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church where she was active in the Ladies Aid and Altar Guild. She enjoyed quilting and was one of the quilters at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Bowdle and Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Aberdeen. She had a passion for gardening and growing flowers, enjoyed crocheting, and jigsaw puzzles.
Bernice is survived by two sons?Randy (Julie) Schlecht of Minnetonka, MN and Jim Schlecht of Bowdle; three daughters?Sheila (Pete) Hesla and Kathy Schlecht of Aberdeen, and Lisa Dohn of Sioux Falls; two brothers?Duane (Beverly) Schmidtgall of Selby and Harold (Cheryl) Schmidtgall of Giltner, NE; one sister, Irene (Art) Schlecht, of Bowdle; four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Fred, on January 17, 1980; her son, Mark, on May 7, 2019; her father, William, on April 18, 1989; her mother, Katie, on November 8, 1997; two sisters?Adeline Brown and Verna Mehlhaff; and daughter-in-law Diana Schlecht.
Funeral services will be 1:00 P.M., Monday, January 10, 2022 at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, Bowdle, led by Rev. DT Rawerts. Organist will be Cindy Miller and usher will be Russell Bomesberger. Funeral services will be livestreamed on the Lien Family Funeral Care Facebook page and be available Wednesday night at www.MillerLienFH.com.
Honorary bearers will be granddaughters Jessica Dohn of Sioux Falls and Kristen (Eric) Hamiel of Aberdeen; and great granddaughters?Emeri and Eliza Hamiel.
Casketbearers will be Rodney Schlecht, Ron Brown, and Roger Jacobs of Bowdle; Eric Hamiel of Aberdeen; and grandsons--Tyler Schlecht of Thornton, CO and Brandon Schlecht of Ostego, MN.
Funeral home visitation will be from 2:00-6:00 PM Sunday.
Services are in care of Lien Funeral Home, Bowdle.
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