Bernard
Bernard “Bernie” Harper
Bernard “Bernie” Harper of Martin passed away Friday, January 24, 2014 at his home.
Bernie was born November 17, 1940 in Plainwell to Willard and Rosemond (Osburn) Harper. During the Korean War he served his country in the U.S. Army. For many years he worked at Ken Tire in Allegan and for over 20 years with Rockwell International until his retirement in 1995. Bernie was a member of the Otsego Moose Lodge. In his leisure time he loved to fish, hunt and work in his vegetable garden.
Survivors include his life partner Edna; his children, Mark, Bud, Kenny, Cathy, Vicki, and Brenda; 15 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
Preceding him in death were his parents and his sons Eric and Tim.
A memorial service will be held Thursday, January 30, 2014 at 1:00 P.M. at the Winkel Funeral Home, Otsego with Pastor Mike Risner officiating. Military Honors by Otsego V.F.W. Post #3030. Burial will take place in the spring.
Contributions in memory of Bernie may be made to
Disabled Veterans of America
.
Messages of condolence may be posted at
www.WinkelFuneralHome.com
Offer Condolence for the family of Bernard “Bernie” Harper
Condolence Messages
Betty, Esta Nichols
January 25, 2014 at 4:32 pm
We are so sorry for your loss. May god be with you at this time.
Reply
Doug Coulson
January 25, 2014 at 7:28 pm
To the Family,I’m very Sorry for your loss.
Bernie never met a kid that didn’t like him(being called the candy man)
Bernie was not only my Father Inlaw ,he was a great friend, we hunted and fished together. I will miss him very much.
DOUG
Reply
Anne Hall
January 25, 2014 at 8:14 pm
Prayers to the family,you will be missed by many friends.R.I.P.
Reply
Glenn & Joni (Thompson) McNamara
January 25, 2014 at 8:40 pm
Our prayers and thoughts are with the family. Bernie will definitely be missed by alot of people..he never met a stranger and sure did like to joke around with us. We will miss his smile and friendship. We know Bernie will be welcomed by his family and friends in Heaven, we pray that your memories of his love while he was here get you thru this time of grief. God bless you and may he hold you tight thru these days of sadness. Glenn, Joni, Mitch and Matt
Reply
Tammy Thompson-Drake
January 25, 2014 at 8:43 pm
So very sorry Edna and all Bernie’s Family, God Bless you all, you are all in my prayers! Bernie, I will so miss our chats at DG.. and all your fishing updates!! Group hug from all of us here on earth!
Reply
mark
January 25, 2014 at 9:45 pm
Miss you already dad. Your words “I’m still sharp” will always be in my memory in your last days… :'(
Reply
Jessica Sinkler
January 26, 2014 at 12:52 pm
I love you grandpa u where the best always loved and never forgotten R.I.P grandpa now we have another angle watching over us .
Reply
Dora Campbell
January 26, 2014 at 1:45 pm
I miss you Uncle Bernie and I Love You I will always remember the good times that we had and the laughs that we shared
Reply
Dan, sherry and family
January 26, 2014 at 1:51 pm
Edna and family so sorry to here about Bernie, you are in our thoughts and prayers. We had a lot of fun and memories from our bowling years and the guys fishing and hunting times and stories .
Reply
Todd,Vicky&Micaela Ziegler
January 26, 2014 at 2:15 pm
Praying for you Edna and Harper family. We miss you Uncle Bernie, We will miss your great advice, and the way you would bring laughter into a room. Micaela will never forget the time that she went fishing with you and Dad. She loved it so much! She’ll cherish it forever! We’ll never forget you, you are always in our hearts and our thoughts! We love you Uncle Bernie!
Reply
Margaret Jenkins
January 26, 2014 at 3:50 pm
Edna, I am so sorry to hear of Bernie’s death! I will miss him sorely. I have such great memories of sitting and laughing and joking with Bernie. My girls certainly had a great time with him and to this day call him “Bernie, the girl” because of that purple coat he wore! I will pray for comfort for you! Love, Margaret
Reply
Cheyenne Sinkler
January 26, 2014 at 4:12 pm
Hey grandpa, I already miss you alot.. But just remember i love you.. I will never forget you.. <3 i love you so much
Reply
josh
January 26, 2014 at 4:24 pm
Edna and family sending prayers to all of you guys I will miss Bernie severely driving by everyday checking traps and throwing him a wave if he was on the porch or outside I learned a lot from Bernie fishing with him and just talking with him him and edna have been great friends of our family I’ll never forget Bernie for giving my first puppy a beagle he never hunted but was a great dog well rip Bernie see u again someday 🙁
Reply
Jodie Gilson
January 26, 2014 at 7:18 pm
So very sorry Edna and Family , i will miss Bernie very much . Bernie was a great deer hunter and turkey hunter , and a very good turkey caller ,We had lots of good times in the turkey blinds, i just know he will be up there watching me and smiling when he sees me tring to call in and get a turkey without him, he was always so happy to see me get a nice bird.
Jodie
Reply
Shelley,Dora,and Willard Campbell
January 26, 2014 at 8:36 pm
We Love You Uncle Bernie we will never forget all of the help that you gave to us We are going to miss you.Edna and Family you are in are thoughts and Prayers We Love You Guys
Reply
Cheyenne Sinkler
January 27, 2014 at 9:27 am
Hey Grandpa, I love you so much! We have another angel watching over us now.. <3 Just remember ill never forget you.. I miss you so much, I love you!!
Reply
Nancy Hall
January 27, 2014 at 12:39 pm
So sorry Bernie you got sick, god Bless you and condolences to the family.
Nancy an old friend from years ago
Reply
Diane Keedle
January 28, 2014 at 12:33 am
So sorry Edna, Cathy, Brenda & Doug. Please know that you are all in my prayers. it is so very hard to let our loved ones go. We just have to have faith that we will see them again. Love you, Diane
(Lorrie, Karen & Penny)
Reply
Bush Family
January 28, 2014 at 3:37 pm
We send are love to you guys for your loss…we are going to miss Bernie coming down to see us, the girls really liked it when he had the grand kids…we love you Bernie and Edna we could never ask for better neighbors.
Reply
Sandy and Dan Fleming
January 29, 2014 at 8:03 pm
Dan and I want to extend our sincere and deepest sympathy to Edna and Bernie’s children,grandchildren and his brother Bucky as I know that Bucky and Bernard were very close. May he rest in Peace.
Reply
Steve and June Anson
January 29, 2014 at 11:21 pm
Rest in peace, Bernie.
Reply
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Bernie was born November 17, 1940 in Plainwell to Willard and Rosemond (Osburn) Harper. During the Korean War he served his country in the U.S. Army. For many years he worked at Ken Tire in Allegan and for over 20 years with Rockwell International until his retirement in 1995. Bernie was a member of the Otsego Moose Lodge. In his leisure time he loved to fish, hunt and work in his vegetable garden.
Survivors include his life partner Edna; his children, Mark, Bud, Kenny, Cathy, Vicki, and Brenda; 15 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
Preceding him in death were his parents and his sons Eric and Tim.
A memorial service will be held Thursday, January 30, 2014 at 1:00 P.M. at the Winkel Funeral Home, Otsego with Pastor Mike Risner officiating. Military Honors by Otsego V.F.W. Post #3030. Burial will take place in the spring.
Contributions in memory of Bernie may be made to
Disabled Veterans of America
.
Messages of condolence may be posted at
www.WinkelFuneralHome.com
Offer Condolence for the family of Bernard “Bernie” Harper
Condolence Messages
Betty, Esta Nichols
January 25, 2014 at 4:32 pm
We are so sorry for your loss. May god be with you at this time.
Reply
Doug Coulson
January 25, 2014 at 7:28 pm
To the Family,I’m very Sorry for your loss.
Bernie never met a kid that didn’t like him(being called the candy man)
Bernie was not only my Father Inlaw ,he was a great friend, we hunted and fished together. I will miss him very much.
DOUG
Reply
Anne Hall
January 25, 2014 at 8:14 pm
Prayers to the family,you will be missed by many friends.R.I.P.
Reply
Glenn & Joni (Thompson) McNamara
January 25, 2014 at 8:40 pm
Our prayers and thoughts are with the family. Bernie will definitely be missed by alot of people..he never met a stranger and sure did like to joke around with us. We will miss his smile and friendship. We know Bernie will be welcomed by his family and friends in Heaven, we pray that your memories of his love while he was here get you thru this time of grief. God bless you and may he hold you tight thru these days of sadness. Glenn, Joni, Mitch and Matt
Reply
Tammy Thompson-Drake
January 25, 2014 at 8:43 pm
So very sorry Edna and all Bernie’s Family, God Bless you all, you are all in my prayers! Bernie, I will so miss our chats at DG.. and all your fishing updates!! Group hug from all of us here on earth!
Reply
mark
January 25, 2014 at 9:45 pm
Miss you already dad. Your words “I’m still sharp” will always be in my memory in your last days… :'(
Reply
Jessica Sinkler
January 26, 2014 at 12:52 pm
I love you grandpa u where the best always loved and never forgotten R.I.P grandpa now we have another angle watching over us .
Reply
Dora Campbell
January 26, 2014 at 1:45 pm
I miss you Uncle Bernie and I Love You I will always remember the good times that we had and the laughs that we shared
Reply
Dan, sherry and family
January 26, 2014 at 1:51 pm
Edna and family so sorry to here about Bernie, you are in our thoughts and prayers. We had a lot of fun and memories from our bowling years and the guys fishing and hunting times and stories .
Reply
Todd,Vicky&Micaela Ziegler
January 26, 2014 at 2:15 pm
Praying for you Edna and Harper family. We miss you Uncle Bernie, We will miss your great advice, and the way you would bring laughter into a room. Micaela will never forget the time that she went fishing with you and Dad. She loved it so much! She’ll cherish it forever! We’ll never forget you, you are always in our hearts and our thoughts! We love you Uncle Bernie!
Reply
Margaret Jenkins
January 26, 2014 at 3:50 pm
Edna, I am so sorry to hear of Bernie’s death! I will miss him sorely. I have such great memories of sitting and laughing and joking with Bernie. My girls certainly had a great time with him and to this day call him “Bernie, the girl” because of that purple coat he wore! I will pray for comfort for you! Love, Margaret
Reply
Cheyenne Sinkler
January 26, 2014 at 4:12 pm
Hey grandpa, I already miss you alot.. But just remember i love you.. I will never forget you.. <3 i love you so much
Reply
josh
January 26, 2014 at 4:24 pm
Edna and family sending prayers to all of you guys I will miss Bernie severely driving by everyday checking traps and throwing him a wave if he was on the porch or outside I learned a lot from Bernie fishing with him and just talking with him him and edna have been great friends of our family I’ll never forget Bernie for giving my first puppy a beagle he never hunted but was a great dog well rip Bernie see u again someday 🙁
Reply
Jodie Gilson
January 26, 2014 at 7:18 pm
So very sorry Edna and Family , i will miss Bernie very much . Bernie was a great deer hunter and turkey hunter , and a very good turkey caller ,We had lots of good times in the turkey blinds, i just know he will be up there watching me and smiling when he sees me tring to call in and get a turkey without him, he was always so happy to see me get a nice bird.
Jodie
Reply
Shelley,Dora,and Willard Campbell
January 26, 2014 at 8:36 pm
We Love You Uncle Bernie we will never forget all of the help that you gave to us We are going to miss you.Edna and Family you are in are thoughts and Prayers We Love You Guys
Reply
Cheyenne Sinkler
January 27, 2014 at 9:27 am
Hey Grandpa, I love you so much! We have another angel watching over us now.. <3 Just remember ill never forget you.. I miss you so much, I love you!!
Reply
Nancy Hall
January 27, 2014 at 12:39 pm
So sorry Bernie you got sick, god Bless you and condolences to the family.
Nancy an old friend from years ago
Reply
Diane Keedle
January 28, 2014 at 12:33 am
So sorry Edna, Cathy, Brenda & Doug. Please know that you are all in my prayers. it is so very hard to let our loved ones go. We just have to have faith that we will see them again. Love you, Diane
(Lorrie, Karen & Penny)
Reply
Bush Family
January 28, 2014 at 3:37 pm
We send are love to you guys for your loss…we are going to miss Bernie coming down to see us, the girls really liked it when he had the grand kids…we love you Bernie and Edna we could never ask for better neighbors.
Reply
Sandy and Dan Fleming
January 29, 2014 at 8:03 pm
Dan and I want to extend our sincere and deepest sympathy to Edna and Bernie’s children,grandchildren and his brother Bucky as I know that Bucky and Bernard were very close. May he rest in Peace.
Reply
Steve and June Anson
January 29, 2014 at 11:21 pm
Rest in peace, Bernie.
Reply
Leave a Condolence
Cancel reply
Please share your message of condolence with the family, It will be visible to the public but your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked
*
Comment
*
Name
*
*
Δ
Obituary Notification Service
Enter your email address if you would like to be notified when a new obituary notice is posted:
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How do I send a condolence
At the bottom of this page, you will find a condolence form. You will need to fill out some basic information prior to typing your message. (We will not share your e-mail address with anyone) Once you are finished, simply click the submit condolence button. The condolence will be approved before it is published to the web site.
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