Bernice M. Makinen, 94, Sartell

June 19, 1923 - December 20, 2017

 
Private family memorial services will be on Tuesday, December 26, 2017 at the Williams Dingmann Funeral Home, St. Cloud for Bernice M. Makinen, age 94 of Sartell who died Wednesday, December 20, 2017 at Edgewood Assisted Living in Sartell. Pastor Pamela Nickel of Heartland Hospice will officiate and burial will be at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery, Little Falls. Family and friends may call one hour prior to services on Tuesday at the funeral home.

Bernice was born to Elhart and Mary Diers on June 19, 1923 in Howard Lake, Minnesota. When she was seven years old they moved to Waverly, Minnesota and Bernice went to St. Mary’s school and graduated there in 1941. Bernice married Roy Klingelhoets in 1942 in Waverly where they farmed close by Waverly. In 1958, Bernice went to St. Paul, Minnesota and worked at Midway hospital. She met and married Maynard Makinen of Minneapolis. They moved to Wolf Lake, Minnesota and purchased a hobby farm. Bernice loved her garden and having chickens, beef and other animals. Maynard worked at his bricklaying all over which was his livelihood.

In 1988 they sold the farm and moved to Menahga due to illness of Maynard. In 1998 they moved to New York Mills, Minnesota. He was diagnosed with lung cancer. They then moved to Staples, Minnesota. He passed away there on December 31, 2004. Bernice moved to Sauk Rapids where a niece looked after her and helped her when she suffered a heart attack in 2005. She leaves to mourn one sister, Eleanor (Elray) Boltz in Sun City, Arizona and nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Maynard (2004); sister, Marilyn Strabel and her parents.