Bernita A. (Prilipp) PALS KREITLOW

PRILIPP, PALS, KREITLOW, JANSSEN, UNVERFERTH, LAUEN, WADDINGHAM, KUHLERS, DIGGS, BIGGS, WALKER, HOLMES, ARIO, BRUGGEMAN, MARTIN, TITLER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:48

February 8, 1922 --- August 14, 2017

Bernita A. Pals/Kreitlow, 95, Meservey, died August 14, 2017 at the IOOF Home in Mason City. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 17 at First Reformed Church in Meservey. Interment will be at the Meservey Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday at Retz Funeral Home in Thornton.

Bernita, the daughter of Augusta and Neeskea Janssen Prilipp, was born February 8, 1922 at the farm home near Meservey. She graduated from Meservey Consolidated School. She married Daniel Pals on March 30, 1940. They started their life together farming near Meservey for a few years, then moved into Meservey. Daniel operated the Skelly Oil bulk gas plant. After Daniel’s death, Bernita married Melvin Kreitlow. They spent 25 years together until his death in 2004.   

Bernita spent many years cooking at the Meservey school, at restaurants, and worked at Winnebago Industries in Forest City. She was a member of First Reformed and the RCW in Meservey. She enjoyed many family travels to northern Minnesota on fishing trips and local camping with family.

She was preceded in death by her parents (Augusta had a fatal farming accident in 1921, so Bernita never knew her father); step-father Ernest Unverferth; husbands Daniel Pals and Melvin Kreitlow; son Curtis; daughter-in-law Ronda Pals; sisters Mabel Lauen and Ruth Waddingham; brother Elmer Prilipp; brothers-in-law John Lauen, Wayne Waddingham and Clarence Kuhlers; and sister-in-law Cora Prilipp. Bernita is survived by her children Lois Faye (Duane) Diggs of Schertz, TX and grandchildren Julie Biggs and Warren Walker; Delbert L. Pals of Mason City and grandsons Marty, Lance and Scott Pals; Harlan (Rosemary) Pals of Clear Lake and granddaughters Krista Holmes and Emerald (Jenn) Pals; daughter-in-law Pam Pals of Thief River Falls, MN and granddaughters Jennifer Ario and Brenda Bruggeman; son Keith (Kristine) Pals of Thornton and grandchildren Amy Titler, Annette Pals and Brian Pals; Debra (Tim) Martin of Fairmont, GA and grandson Jason Martin; a number of great- and great-great-grandchildren; and her sister Elvira Kuhlers of Meservey.

Belmond independent -- Belmond, Iowa
15 August 2017