Bernadette Jennissen

Bernadette A. “Bernie” Jennissen, age 80, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, at her home in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, October 6 at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in Sauk Centre with Fr. Mark Botzet officiating.  Interment will be in the parish cemetery.

Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, October 5 at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Sauk Centre and 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, October 6 at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church, in Sauk Centre. Parish prayers will be at 4 p.m. with a rosary immediately following parish prayers Thursday evening at the funeral home.

Bernadette Ann Vos was born November 8, 1942, in St. Anthony, Minnesota to Edward and Veronica (Wolters) Vos. She graduated third in her class from St. Francis High School. She then earned her Registered Nursing Degree from St. Gabriel School of Nursing and expanded her skills throughout her nursing career acquiring multiple certificates focused on geriatric care.

She was united in marriage to James Jennissen on July 18, 1964, at St. Anthony Catholic Church in St. Anthony, Minnesota.  Bernadette and James owned and operated a dairy farm on Queensfield Road near Padua, Minnesota from 1964 through 1995 after which they moved to Sauk Centre and have resided there since.

Bernadette was employed as a nurse at St. Michael’s Hospital in Sauk Centre. She then served as the Assistant Director of Nursing at the Belgrade Nursing Home. She continued her nursing career at Albany Nursing Home where she served as the supervisor of the dementia unit, followed by home care/hospice in Sauk Centre until her retirement in 2012. Bernadette was a member of Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church Choir, and the Christian Mothers. She enjoyed playing piano, singing, needlepoint, reading, dancing, swimming, ice skating, yardwork, pontoon rides, fishing, and most importantly, spending time with her family, especially her children and grandchildren.

Survivors include her husband, James Jennissen of Sauk Centre; son, Tim (Carrie) Jennissen of St. Louis Park and their children, Sara (Ben) Nepomuceno of Chicago Illinois, Kala Jennissen, and Anna Jennissen; daughter, Kimberly (Jorge Romero) Jennissen of Oakton, Virginia, and their children, Maya Romero and Alejandro Romero Jennissen; daughter, Bonita (Michael) DeZelar of Big Lake and their children, Anthony, Lauren, Christopher, and Benjamin DeZelar; brother, Charles (Kathleen) Vos; and sisters, Marie (Richard) Wiener and Audry (Robert) Lang.

Bernadette was preceded in death by her parents, brother, Thomas Vos and sister-in-law Lynda Vos.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.