Bernadine Koetter

Bernadine C. "Bernice" Koetter, age 84, died on Sunday, February 10, 2008 at the Melrose Area Hospital in Melrose, Minnesota.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, February 15, 2008 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Freeport with Rev. Roger Klassen, OSB officiating. Interment will follow in the parish cemetery.

Friends may call from 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday and from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Friday at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Freeport. Christian Mothers and Goldenaires Senior Citizens will pray at 4 p.m. followed by parish prayers at 8 p.m. at the church on Thursday evening.

Bernadine Koetter was born on Feb. 22, 1923 in Melrose. She was united in marriage to Jerome "Jim" Koetter on September 11, 1946 at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Melrose, Minnesota. Bernice loved flower gardening, sewing for children and grandchildren, quilting, card club, ceramic painting and collecting angels. She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Christian Mothers, and the Young at Hearts Club.

Survivors include her children, John (Teddie) Koetter of Union, MS, Mike (Mary) Koetter of Melrose, Jean (Chuck) Loehr of Apple River, IL, Charles (Janice) Koetter of St. Cloud, Phyllis (Kenneth) Holdvogt of Eden Valley, Judy (Patrick) Caveny of Melrose, Sandy (Gary) Roerick of Laporte, Ann (Mike) Ritter of Melrose, and Ralph Koetter of Freeport; 27 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Mary Ann (Dickhaus) Tiemann; husband, Jerome "Jim" on October 24, 2006; an infant daughter, Susan; brothers, Henry Tiemann and Alphonse Tiemann; sisters, Betty Belkengren, Agnes Muellner, Loretta Marthaler, Marie Illies and Evelyn Messer.