Bernice Lee
May 30, 1923-April 7, 2021
Bernice Emma Lee, 97,
Bismarck, passed away
peacefully, April 7, 2021,
at a Bismarck hospital.
Bernice Emma Michel
was born on May 30,
1923, on the family home-
stead south of Van Hook,
ND to Jacques (Jacob) and
Emma (Priester Aisen-
brey) Michel.
She grew up on the
family farm through the
Dust Bowl of the Dirty
30’s. She was the young-
est of five children; step
sisters, Ruth and Ella
Aisenbrey, step brother,
Elmer Aisenbrey; and
brother, Cleo Michel, who
was killed in WWII. She
was 12 years old when
she witnessed a mirage of
Parshall 13 miles away
and a neighboring farm
that could not normally
be seen from their home
on the coldest day of the
year ever recorded in
North Dakota at Parshall –
60 degrees below zero, no
wind chill.
She met her future hus-
band, Loyd Lee, at their
little country school in Li-
berty Township. She said
he was “so nice to her”.
They were married on
January 4, 1943 and were
married 47 years until
Loyd’s death on April 22,
1990. They had four
daughters: Bonita, Vonda,
Doreen, and Janet. They
farmed in the Van Hook
area until the Garrison
Dam forced them to move.
They then moved and
farmed in the Belden and
Stanley areas and eventu-
ally moved into Stanley.
She was a cook at the
Stanley Schools and even-
tually accepted a position
at Anderson Department
Store. They moved to
Williston where she
worked at the Family
Thrift Center until her re-
tirement. She was a
member of Our Savior’s
Lutheran church and the
Stoney Creek
Homemakers/Birthday
Club at Williston and
more recently a member
of Faith Lutheran Church,
Bismarck.
She was an avid seam-
stress and sewed each of
her daughters’ wedding
gowns and bridesmaids
dresses. She loved to quilt
and made quilts for all her
grandchildren. She cro-
cheted, knitted, and made
beautiful four strand
braided rugs. She loved to
bird watch, fish, dance to
old time music, square
dance, and read. She be-
came tech savvy and
learned to use her Nook
for reading and iPad to
play solitaire and do jig-
saw puzzles. She loved to
bake with breads and lefse
being just some of her
specialties. She mowed
her own lawn with a push
mower until she moved to
Bismarck in 2014. She
loved ice cream, Apricot
brandy and to travel. She
always joked that her suit-
cases were packed and
waiting by the door in
case someone called and
wanted to take her on a
trip.
She is survived by: her
daughters: Bonita (Joel)
Andres, Bismarck; Vonda
(James) Rensch, Makoti;
Doreen (James) Moen, Pla-
za; and Janet (Larry) Fran-
sen, Bismarck. Grandchil-dren: Kristine (Andy)
Leinart; Scott (Lyndi) An-
dres; Jill (Terry) Grumbo;
Erik (Susan) Rensch; Tra-
cy (Mark) Schneider;
James C. (Debby) Moen;
Paul (Dawn) Moen;
Michael (Tanja) Fransen;
David (Laura) Fransen.
Twenty great grandchil-
dren and six great great
grandchildren;
Sisters-in-law: Anne Lee,
Williston and Virginia
Aisenbrey, New Town,
and numerous nieces and
nephews.
Private family services
will be held.
Public Graveside: Mon-
day, April 12, 2021 at 2:00
p.m. at Van Hook
Cemetery, rural New
Town.
Please join the family
for fellowship at the
Makoti Senior Citizens
Center following the
graveside service.
(Langhans Funeral
Home, Parshall)
www.langhans
funeralhome.com