Bernice M. Ristau

MASON CITY - Bernice M. Ristau, 85, of 119 Linden Drive, died Monday (Dec. 12, 2005) at the Good Shepherd Health Center. Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Tuesday at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 419 N. Delaware in Mason City, with the Rev. Mark Lavrenz officiating. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, and continue at the church one hour before the service on Tuesday. Memorials may be given to the Bernice M. Ristau Memorial Fund. Bernice was born on March 1, 1920 in Scarville, Iowa, the daughter of Emil and Emma (Thorson) Hockenson. Bernice married Clarence M. Ristau on Nov. 8, 1939, in Mason City. They moved to a farm near Thornton in 1942 and lived there until 1946, when they moved to California. They returned to the Rockford area in 1953. They moved to Mason City in 1972 when her husband, Clarence, retired from farming. Bernice was an active member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church for many years. She loved spending time with her family. Bernice is survived by a son, James Ristau and wife, Barbara, of Hampton; daughters, Rita Zahariades and husband, Nick, of Mason City, and Diane Read and husband, Jim, of Rockford; grandchildren: Keith Ristau and wife, Silvanna, of Mesquite, Texas, Marc Ristau and wife, Stephanie, of Ankeny, Didi Zahariades and husband, Jeff Miller, of Portland, Ore., Sheri Teeter of Charles City, Heather Faulkner and husband, Jeff, of Charles City, and Derek Read of Rockford; great grandchildren: Tasha, Tucker, Paige, Alley, Dylan and Makinzie. Bernice was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Clarence; brother, Arnold Hockenson; and sisters, Opal Kost and Rudy Fagundes. Major Erickson Funeral Home & Crematory, (641) 423-0924.

Visitation:
4:00 AM to 6:00 PM at on December 19, 2005 (map/driving directions) 9:00 AM to 9:00 AM at on December 13, 2005 (map/driving directions)

Service:
11:00 AM at on December 20, 2005 (map/driving directions)