×

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