Submitted by: Dan Rich
June 1, 1910 - Jan. 6, 1999
South Bend Tribune 1/8/1999
Bernie Oedekerk, 88, of Mishawaka and South Bend, Ind., died of natural causes on Wednesday evening, Jan. 6, in St. Paul's Health Care Center, South Bend. Born on June 1, 1910, in Steger, Ill., she came to Mishawaka, Ind., in 1922, and had continued to live in this area.
On Feb. 27, 1930, as Bernie Wachs, she married Paul N. Oedekerk, who preceded her in death in 1984. She was also preceded in death by a grandson, Donald Oedekerk, Jr., on March 9, 1997; and by six sisters and three brothers. Our beloved Bernie is survived by two children, Donald (Sharlee) Oedekerk, Sr., of Mishawaka and Kay (Terry) Wetmore of Tucson, Ariz.; six grandchildren, Chris Mead of Boise, Idaho, Matt Meade of Tucson, Ariz., Mike Meade of Spokane, Wash., Andy Meade of Virginia Beach, Va., Kathleen McMurray of Dallas, Texas, and locally, Jan Spalding of Mishawaka. Bernie also has 16 great-grandchildren. In earlier years Bernie was a member of St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church and the Morris Park Country Club.
A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 9, in the Thallemer-Goethals Funeral Home, 503 W. 3rd Street, Mishawaka, with Fr. Robert A. Yast officiating. Friends may visit with the Oedekerk family from 11 a.m. Saturday until the service begins. Interment will be in St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, Granger, Ind. Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriner's Children's Hospital, Chicago, Ill.