Rev. Bernard Frank OEBSER

OEBSER, OLSON, MOE, GROSS, KLOSTERBOER, HELSTROM, THONN, JOHNSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/20/2008 at 12:47:04

DECORAH, IA - The Rev. Bernard "Bernie" Frank Oebser, 65, of Decorah, died on Wednesday (Nov. 21, 2001) at his home from a long courageous battle with cancer. His passing was peaceful, with all three of his daughters by his side. His funeral was held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 26, with the Rev. James Giesne, the Rev. Bryan Robertson and the Rev. Ole Winter officiating. Interment will be in Grandview Cemetery in Downsville, Wis. Funeral arrangements are by Schluter Balik Funeral Home, 604 South Ave. in Decorah.

Bernard "Bernie" Oebser was born on Feb. 19, 1936, the son of Walter August and Agnes (Olson) Oebser in Menomonie, Wis. Bernie attended Twin Oaks Country School near Downsville, Wis., and then graduated from Menomonie High School in 1952. Bernie attended Luther College from 1952-57 and then entered the Luther Seminary from 1957-61 in St. Paul, Minn. Bernie married Genevieve Moe on Aug. 25, 1957, in the Colfax Lutheran Church in Colfax, Wis. After Gen's death in 1994, he married Beverly Gross on Feb. 24, 1996, at St. James Lutheran Church in Mason City.

Bernie served Trinity Lutheran Church in Mason City from 1961-64; Kanawha Lutheran Church in Kanawha, from 1964-71; Trinity Lutheran Church in New Hampton from 1971-94; and St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Lime Springs, from 1994-98. He then retired and served as an Interim Pastor for many churches in the Northeast Iowa area. Bernie loved people and being part of a crowd. He enjoyed collecting jokes, telling stories and asking questions and he especially loved to laugh. One of his many quotes was: "Birth and death are inevitable, so why not just enjoy the interval".

Bernie's survivors include his wife, Beverly Oebser of Decorah, who passed away on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2001; three daughters, Jana Klosterboer and her husband, John, of Decorah, Elizabeth Helstrom and her husband, Jeff, of Waconia, Minn. and Emma Thonn and her husband, Victor, of Waconia, Minn.; one stepson, David Gross and his wife, Janet, of Sioux City; seven grandchildren, Zoe and Eli Klosterboer, of Decorah, McCall and Andrew Helstrom, Ethan and Elsa Thonn and Hannah Gross; one brother, Marlin Oebser and his wife, Sharon, of Downsville, Wis.; one sister, Janis Johnson and her husband, Richard, of Germantown, Wis., and many nieces and nephews. Bernie was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Agnes Oebser; and his first wife, Genevieve Oebser.

November 27, 2001
Mason City Globe Gazette