Bernadette Ruth Dandurand, 85, of Sioux City passed away Friday, May 16, 2008, at Holy Spirit Retirement Home, surrounded by her six children and family that loved her.
Services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, with the Rev. Doug Dandurand, Bernadette's son, officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with a 7 p.m. parish vigil service, at Christy-Smith, Larkin Chapel.
Bernadette was born on April 6, 1923, in Emerson, Neb., the daughter of Edward and Grace (Wilkins) Maurice. She was raised on the family farm in Emerson and attended country schools. She graduated from Homer High School in 1941. After high school, she moved to Sioux City.
On Sept. 29, 1952, she married Ernest D. Dandurand. This union was blessed with six children. While raising her children, she baby-sat in her home and was an inspiration to many other children. She later worked at Mercy Medical Center, retiring in 1988.
She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Bernadette loved being at the farm and enjoyed gardening. She had a love for pets, and she enjoyed baking. But what she loved most was being wherever her six children were.
She is survived by Ernest of Sioux City; two sons, David of Sioux City and the Rev. Doug of Minneapolis, Minn.; four daughters, Maureen (Stewart) Huff of Dakota Dunes, Colleen (Thomas) Bainbridge of Kingsley, Iowa, Joanne Welter of Sioux City and Roxanne (Kelly) Clausen of Dakota Dunes; nine grandchildren, Kelly (Adam) Stokes of Iowa City, Iowa, Michael (Jaime) Blankenship of Omaha, Andrew and Brandon Bainbridge of Kingsley, Christine and Matthew Liston of Sioux City, Wendy, Ryan and Sean Clausen of Dakota Dunes; a great-grandson, Ethan Emmick; a brother, Virgil "Pat" and Josephine Maurice of Tucson, Ariz.; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Geraldine Perret; and a son-in-law, Richard C. Blankenship.
Pallbearers will be her grandsons, Michael Blankenship, Matthew Liston, Ryan and Sean Clausen, Andrew and Brandon Bainbridge. Honorary pallbearers will be her sons-in-law, Thomas Bainbridge, Kelly Clausen and Stewart Huff.
A memorial has been established in her name for Holy Spirit Retirement Home.