Arthur "Art" Berns
Arthur “Art” G. Berns, 84, of Waukon died Sunday, May 28, 2023 at his home in rural Waukon. Funeral services were held Friday, June 2 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. John Moser officiating. Burial was held Saturday, June 3 at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon.
Arthur Gordon Berns was born February 1, 1939 in Union Prairie Township, rural Waukon, the son of Bernard “Verni” and Eleanora (Taake) Berns. He was baptized and confirmed at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church-West Ridge. Art attended Union Prairie country school, a one room schoolhouse where his mother taught, and he graduated from St. Patrick Catholic School in Waukon where he met his future wife.
May 28, 1960, he married Joan Davis at St. Patrick Catholic Church. They moved to Chicago, IL before settling in Rolling Meadows, IL in 1963, where they lived and raised their family for 43 years. Art owned and operated Art Berns Construction as a general contractor and was known as Art the Carpenter in the greater Chicagoland area. He retired in 2006, and they moved back to the Waukon area.
Art was a member of the Patterson Creek Social Club. He loved entertaining family and friends at the campground on his property. Art enjoyed golfing, bowling, fishing and horseshoes. He also was highly creative and loved woodworking.
Survivors include his children: Peggy (John) Monson, Patty (Steve) Coldebella, Pam Donohue and Linc (Jenni) Berns, all of Rolling Meadows, IL; eight grandchildren: Bryan (Kendall) Monson, Keith (Julia) Monson, Shana Berns, Austin Reed, Mitchell Coldebella, Jimmy Donohue, and Ember and Ashley Berns; two great-grandchildren: Mary Jane Donohue and Colt Monson; his siblings: Mary Ann Burke, Bernard (Eileen) Berns and Francis (Muggs) Berns, all of Waukon; his sisters-in-law: Mavis Berns-Mathes and Lynn Ann Williams, both of Waukon, and Janet (Lou) Bork of West Chicago, IL; a brother-in-law, John Davis of Mississippi; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Joan, in 2019; two sisters, Betty (Emmett) Howe and Karla Kay Berns; a brother, Verdine Berns; a brother-in-law, Ray Burke; and two nephews, Kevin Howe and Jeff Berns.
Honorary casket bearers were Tony Link, Reggie Vine, Perry Fahey, Dr. David Schwartz, Mark Armstrong, Barb Grant, and the entire Patterson Creek Social Club. Casket bearers were Art’s son, grandchildren and sons-in-laws.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
