Bernadine Volk

Jan 25, 1936-July 27, 2025

Rugby

Bernadine Volk, the daughter of Pete and Leonida (Giesinger) Koenig was born on January 25, 1936 at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Rugby. She died at the age of 89 on July 27, 2025 at The Haaland Home in Rugby.

Bernie was born in a set of triplets and was raised in a family of six girls with her oldest sisters being twins. In earlier years, she lived with her family in the Fulda area and later in the Guthrie area until third grade. She moved to Rugby with her family and attended Little Flower Catholic School through the 8th grade. She then attended high school at St. Francis Academy in Hankinson. She moved back to Rugby and worked at the Good Samaritan Hospital and during this time she met her husband Joe.

Joe and Bernie were united in marriage on June 27, 1955 at Little Flower Catholic Church in Rugby. They moved to a farm west of Orrin where they built a house and started their family of 11 children. They farmed and ranched until 1986 when they moved to Drake where Bernie worked at the school and later did childcare for teacher’s kids.

In 1993, they moved to their final home in Rugby. She worked briefly at several places, but her favorite job was working at the Little Flower Rectory for 6 years. She later volunteered at the Heart of America Medical Center which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Bernie was truly a giving person and loved to help people even as a resident at the Haaland Home. She took new people under her wing and liked to hand out Hershey bars, and was known as the “hershey bar lady”.

She came from a musical family, loved music and had a beautiful singing voice and played organ and piano by ear. She was active in her church, taught CCD and sang in the church choir for many years. She loved hearing her kids sing. She was a previous member of Sacred Heart Catholic church in Orrin, St Margaret Mary in Drake and finally Little Flower Catholic Church in Rugby. She was a member of the Christian Mothers. She was a woman of faith and a true prayer warrior and helped lead many rosaries at the Haaland Home Chapel as a resident especially during Covid when church services were suspended.

She loved visits from her grandchildren and great grandchildren and always prayed for them daily. She loved her photo albums and was always asking for pictures. She felt very blessed with her large family and loved family holidays and playing cards, especially the game of Whist in which she would always “grand” and say “play ’em out”. Everyone loved Mom’s beef noodle soup after church on Sundays, her famous fried chicken and her chewy schotcheroos. She loved flowers; red roses and petunias were among her favorites. Later in life, her little dog Toto was her companion after Joe died.

A highlight for Bernie in later years was a trip to EWTN studios in Birmingham, Alabama where her favorite Catholic Channel EWTN is filmed. She watched this channel faithfully as her vision faded and it sustained her through long days. We are forever grateful for this gift and will truly miss her faithful presence in our family.

Lastly, we are so thankful for the wonderful, loving care Mom received at the Haaland Home. They went above and beyond with love and patience especially during Covid. Mom was truly blessed and we are forever grateful for this caring place.

Bernie is survived by her children, Tim of Glascow, MT; Mary (Joe) Schmaltz of Rugby; Heidi (Randy) Luraas of Dickinson; Monica (Bob) Houim of Rugby; Jeff of Vancouver, WA, Edie (Bob) Schell, Harvey; Dana (Cathy) Volk of Deadwood, SD, Lisa (Doug) Thorp of Towner, Toby of Seattle, WA and Jeremy of North Branch, MN. 21 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren with 3 more on the way, many nieces and nephews and sister-in-law Marcella Johnson of Williston. She was preceded in death by her husband Joe, an infant son, Lynn, twin sisters Monica Miller and Cecelia Ellsworth, Regina Vetsch, her triplet sisters, Beatrice Mack and Bertha Koenig {as an infant} and her parents. Brothers-in-law Aloyious, Wendelyn, George, Peter and Paul Volk, sisters-in-law Marie Free , Betty Stewart, Walburga Mason, Hedy Harris, Maggie Thomas and Floretta(Sandy) Jaeger and great-granddaughter, Waylyn Alice Luraas.

Memorials may be sent to Little Flower School or The Haaland Home in Rugby.

Mass of Christian burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 2 at Little Flower Catholic Church in Rugby with burial in the church cemetery. Visitation will be on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. with a rosary, vigil prayer service and sharing beginning at 7 p.m. at the Anderson Funeral Home in Rugby.

Visitation will continue on Saturday from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home.

Organist: Angie Deplazes Vocal Leader: Amber Ritterman & Edie Schell

Readers: Tim Volk & Monica Houim

Published by The Pierce County Tribune Aug 2, 2025.