Bernhard Andresen

April 22, 1918 - January 26, 2010

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Obituary:

Bernhard Andresen, 91 of Mt. Pleasant, passed away on Tuesday, January 26, 2010

at the Henry County Health Center in Mt. Pleasant.



According to his wishes his body has been donated to the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology Program at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. There will be no services. Memorials may be directed to the family to be used for a gift in his memory to the Henry County Health Center Dialysis Unit.



Bernhard was born on April 22, 1918, the last of seven children, in the county of Husum, Germany, to A. Bernhard & Anna Magdalene Clausen Andresen. He was united in marriage to Käte Irma Ketelsen on May 13, 1939. He served six years in the Army during WWII, four of them on the Russian front being injured in the last year. He worked as an accountant, moving to this country with his family in 1951. He farmed in the Merrimac and Pleasant Point areas for 15 years until 1966. He purchased Ruby Cleaners and operated it until 1975. He enjoyed playing cards, family gatherings, visits from German relatives, fishing, traveling, politics, crosswords, celebrating anniversary dates of emigration from Germany as a proud American, sports having managed and coached a softball team, the outdoors and listening to German music while on his swing, playing the harmonica and accordion. He was a member of the Mt. Pleasant Moose Lodge for 43 years, holding several positions.



He is survived by his wife, Käte of 70 years, three daughters: Anita (Leo) Hill, Edie (Dennis) Ford and Ingi (John) McDowell and his son-in-law Ron Hart, his grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins, including many relatives in Germany.



Bernhard was preceded in death by his parents, one daughter: Elke Hart, and one grandson Randy Hart, two sisters: Marie and Elise, four brothers: Carl, Nicolay, Max and Thomas.