Eleanora Wilhelmina (Taake) Berns 1907 - 2009

BERNS, TAAKE, BURKE, HOWE, MEIER, MARTING, WILKER

Posted By: Errin Wilker (email)
Date: 2/15/2009 at 13:04:45

Eleanora W. Berns, 101, of Waukon died Saturday, February 7, 2009 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Thursday, February 12 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon, with Fr. Joseph Schneider and Rev. Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg officiating. Burial will be held in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon.

Friends may call from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, February 11 at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon, where there will be a 4 p.m. scripture service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Patrick Catholic School Endowment Fund.

Eleanora Wilhelmina Berns was born March 23, 1907 in Clayton County, rural Elkader, the daughter of Henry and Louisa (Wilker) Taake, and was baptized and confirmed at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Clayton Center. She attended Hanover School in Clayton County and graduated from Elkader High School in 1924 in Normal Training. Eleanora also did some correspondence courses through Iowa City, Upper Iowa University and Luther College. She taught school in Clayton County for six years and then worked in a bank in Garnavillo for two years.

June 17, 1933 she married Verni John Berns in Lamont. They farmed together near Garnavillo until 1936, before moving to a farm in Allamakee County. Eleanora went back to teaching in 1946, teaching school at Union Prairie #2 for 21 years and then at West Elementary School in Waukon for five years until her retirement in 1972.

Eleanora was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church at West Ridge and is a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, where she was active in the Rosary Societies and A.C.C.W. She enjoyed gardening, quilting, crocheting, cooking, baking, raising poultry and making feather pillows. Her faith, family and friends were a special part of her life.

Survivors include her children, Mary Ann (Ray) Burke, Betty Howe, Verdine (Mavis) Berns, Francis (Mary) Berns and Arthur (Joan) Berns, all of Waukon, Karla Berns of Dubuque and Bernard (Eileen) Berns of Waukon; 32 grandchildren; 83 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Verni, who died in 1976; two grandsons; a son-in-law, Emmett Howe; two brothers, Wilbur and LeRoy Taake; and two sisters, Iona Meier and Carrie Marting.

Honorary casketbearers are her grandchildren and their spouses. Casketbearers are Randy Burke, Mark Howe, and Brad, Jerry, Linc and Bryan Berns.

Source: The Standard, Waukon, Iowa, 11 February 2009

Allamakee Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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