Bernadine 'Bernie' Nefzger

BERNADINE "BERNIE" NEFZGER

Earlville

Bernardine "Bernie" Nefzger, 90, of Earlville, passed away Monday, Nov. 18, 2019, at her home. Visitation:

2 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, and 9 to 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, at Clifton-Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Earlville. Funeral Mass: 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Earlville with the Rev. Jason Hesseling officiating. Burial: St. Joseph Cemetery, Earlville.

Bernie is survived by her children, Ronald (Kathleen) Goldsmith of Hiawatha, Joseph (Linda) Goldsmith of Earlville, Mark (Beth) Goldsmith of Weaverville, Calif., Patrick (Alison) Goldsmith of Ames, Anne (Thomas) Hayes of Rosemount, Minn., and Michael (Pamela) Goldsmith of Hiawatha; 18 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and siblings, Virtus (Marilyn) Clasen, Mary Ellen Kirk, Merlin (Marilyn) Clasen, Pauline Wagener and Lela Roiger; and in-laws, Mary Ann Clasen, Betty (Hank) Ehrlich and Nellie Krapfl.

Bernie also is survived by her stepchildren, Mary Lu (Larry) Welch of Platteville, Wis., Jeanne (George) Hesseling of Sugar Grove, Ill., and Dave Nefzger (Christine Mascow) of McHenry, Ill.; 10 step-grandchildren; 18 stepgreat-grandchildren; and step-in-laws, Gary (Juanita) Maiers of Coal Valley, Ill., and Roger Johannes of Earlville.

Bernie was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Arthur Goldsmith and Edward Nefzger; brother, Alvin Clasen; stepdaugthers, JoAnn Maiers and Kathy Johannes; stepson-in-law, Gary Hesseling; and stepgreat-granddaughter, Mackenzee Carpenter.

Additionally she was preceded by her in-laws, James Kirk, Dennis Hines, Cliff Roiger, LeRoy Wagener, Margaret (Clem) Kapler, Delores (Ed) Nefzger, Mary (John) Kupferschmidt, Mildred (Larry) Kramer, Floyd (Marie) Goldsmith, George (Laura) Goldsmith, James (Bertha) Goldsmith, Fred (Darlene) Goldsmith, Genevieve (Ray) Olberding, Robert Krapfl, Elmer (Katherine) Nefzger and Marie (Ed) Rausch.

Bernie was born Nov. 6, 1929, in Springbrook, Iowa, the daughter of Alvin and Emma (Weis) Clasen. She graduated from St. Joseph High School in Bellevue in 1947. Bernie then graduated from Mercy College of Nursing in 1952 and went on to work at Mercy Hospital in Dubuque. She then served as the parish secretary at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Earlville for 19 years.

On April 4, 1959, she married Arthur D. Goldsmith in Bellevue. He died Nov. 16, 1970. Bernie then married Edward Nefzger on July 22, 1977. He died Jan. 5, 2001. She was in Mercy Alumni, Catholic Daughters and a Mercy volunteer. Bernie was a humble woman who loved playing euchre, dancing, volunteering and, most of all, her family. She spent her life devoted to children as a pediatric nurse, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and the maker of hundreds of hand-knitted stocking caps for newborn babies. Bernie will be greatly missed.

Please share a memory of Bernie at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.