Bernadette Unterberger
Bernadette “Sissie” Rose Unterberger, 93, of The Meadows-Shell Rock, formerly of Waterville, passed away Sunday, January 15, 2017 at the Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community in Waverly. Mass of Christian Burial was held Saturday, January 21 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Waverly, with Fr. Bernie Grady and Fr. Lou Jaeger officiating. Burial of cremated remains will take place October 19, 2017, at St. Mary Cemetery in New Hampton.
Bernadette was born at home February 10, 1923 in New Hampton, the daughter of John and Rose (Tekippe) Eschweiler. She attended St. Mary’s Catholic School for eight years and graduated from New Hampton High School in 1940. During World War II she was employed at Chamberlains in Waterloo. She then worked at First National Bank in New Hampton, which she loved.
October 19, 1957, she was united in marriage to Cletus J. Unterberger at St. Mary's Catholic Church in New Hampton. The couple made their home on Cletus' family farm in Linton Township in Allamakee County. Cletus passed away suddenly in 1982, and Bernadette stayed on the farm until 2010, when she moved to The Meadows assisted living in Shell Rock.
Bernadette was a faithful member of St. Pius of Cherry Mound Catholic Church serving as Rosary Society Treasurer for many years, and currently was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Waverly. She enjoyed being a member of the Golden Girls card club in Rossville. In her free time she loved driving her car, knitting, sharing jokes, visiting with friends and family, and cooking. Guests never went away from her home hungry. She was always generous with her time and her resources, and she would do anything to help family and friends.
Bernadette is survived by her brother, Merle Eschweiler and family friend, John Lyons, both of Vancouver, WA; Thomas E. Meyer of Osage and Mary Jo (Richard) Love of Colorado Springs, CO; Sheryll (Jerry) Harambasic of Lynchburg, VA, Steven (Deb) Eschweiler of Cedar Falls, David (Marlena) Eschweiler of Fort Wayne, IN, Kevin (Anita) Eschweiler of New Hampton, Tim (Emily) Eschweiler of Woodbury, MN, Todd (Amy) Eschweiler of Johnston and Jean (Scott) Roers of Eau Claire, WI; Fran (Wagner) Zichal, Mary Lynn (Wagner) ReVoir and Jim Huffman, all of Iowa; Linda (Wagner) Stow, Greg Wagner, Creighton Huffman and Robert Huffman, all of MN; Rita (Huffman) Van Dyke and Brian Huffman, both of Wisconsin; Philip Huffman of Michigan; John Kozak of Illinois; Betty (Kozak) Qualls of Tennessee; John Small of South Dakota; and Maureen (Small) Gibson of California.
Also left to cherish her memory is her Shell Rock/Waverly family of Sarah, Jason, Grace and Ethan Reyerson, and many other great nieces and nephews. Although Bernadette did not have children of her own, she was a mother to all. She had a way of making each of her "kids" feel special and loved.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Clete; her sister, Mila Mae (Tom) Meyer; her brothers, John (Vi) and (Alice) Eschweiler and Robert Eschweiler; infant siblings, Leonard and Geraldine; her niece, Catherine L. Meyer; her brother-in-law, Linus Unterberger; her sisters-in-law, Mary (Unterberger) and Andy Kozak, Rita (Unterberger) and Maurice Small, Raphaella (Unterberger) and LeRoy Huffman, Alberta (Unterberger) and Francis Wagner, and Cecilia Unterberger; and her nephews, Joe Small and Alan Wagner.
Memorials may be directed to St. Mary Catholic Church in Waverly and on-line condolences may be left at www.kaisercorson.com. Kaiser-Corson Funeral Home in Waverly assisted the family with arrangements.
