Bernice Meierhofer, 77

Bernice Meierhofer died peacefully Sunday, June 27, 2021, surrounded by her loving family.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 10, at the Church of St. Anthony in Watkins. Interment will follow in the St. Anthony Cemetery with a reception in the parish hall following. All are welcome. The Mass will be live-streamed on the Ertl Funeral Home website under her obituary. Visitation will be in the St. Anthony Parish Hall from 4-6:30 p.m. Friday, July 9. A prayer service will be at 6:30 p.m. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the Mass Saturday.

Bernice Elizabeth Molitor was born Dec. 18, 1943, to Florence and Joe Molitor of Rockville. Bernice was married to Alvin for 58 years. Sidekicks in life, work and play, they enjoyed each other’s company throughout their many adventures. They had three children. She was lucky to have included additional loved ones in her household including Ron (and Laurie) Molitor, Kevin Quast, Francisco Viguera from Chile, and Jean Pin from France.

Family and friends were very important to Bernice. She was a generous host who loved to entertain. With ease, she would host numerous card groups, three-day cousin picnics at the cabin, and countless birthday and holiday celebrations. She was a wonderful cook, making everything from scratch and never using a measuring cup. A few of the dishes she was most known for included coleslaw, apple crisp, her epic fish fries, and anything that came out of the black kettle. She made party-planning look effortless, and she took great joy in hosting her loved ones.

Although Bernice came off as a socialite to many who knew her, behind the scenes she was also an avid businesswoman. She struck deals to expand the family farm, traded in crop futures, and could back a tractor-trailer like nobody’s business. She also had various side jobs she used to build up her adventure fund. She sold milk from the family farm, sold seed corn, and even had her own wedding video recording business.

In her retirement years, she and Alvin enjoyed camping in their “rig” in various places across the United States before settling at their beloved Lake Havasu, Ariz. She loved the warm, sunny days she spent in Arizona. While she was away during the winter, she made sure not to miss a beat in connecting with family and friends. She was one of the first users of Facebook in her age bracket and, when she learned the grandkids had migrated to Snapchat, she got herself an account without missing a beat.

Although Bernice was faced with many medical challenges in her later years, her ability to communicate her gratitude and sense of humor through a simple gesture or the wink of an eye was unwavering. Her grace and continued positive outlook on life was an inspiration to many.

Bernice was preceded in death by her husband Alvin Meierhofer, parents Joe and Florence Molitor, and brothers Jerome and Ralph Molitor.

She is survived by her children Sandy (and Dale) Schroeck, Randy (and Nia) Meierhofer, and Keith (and Shannon) Meierhofer; grandchildren Justine (and Nick), Blaine, Kayla, Zachary (and Gabrielle), Julia, Jacob, and Hope; great-grandchildren Finley and Parker; sister Mary Lou (and LeRoy) Raden, and brothers Jim (and Mary) Molitor, Dennis (and Rose) Molitor, and Ron (and Laurie) Molitor; and sister-in-law Judy (and Jerry) Molitor.

Donations are preferred to St. Scholastica Convent.