Kimberly Bernhard

Kimberly Bernhard, 44, of Bancroft, Iowa, joined her heavenly father, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015, surrounded by family, at the Hawkeye Care Center in Bancroft, after a long journey with cancer.

A funeral Mass was held on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015, at St. John’s Catholic Church, in Bancroft. Burial was in St. John’s Catholic Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family, an education fund has been established for her sons, Luke and Josh.

Kimberly Sue (Pedelty) Bernhard was born April 11, 1971, in Oskaloosa, Iowa, daughter of Steven “Ray” Pedelty and Doneta (Christiansen) Pedelty. Kim attended most of her elementary and high school in Clear Lake, where she graduated in 1989. During high school she was active in band, drill team, tennis, Model UN, speech and drama. Kim’s highest achievements were to be chosen for All State Speech and National Honor Society. Kim continued her love of learning by studying Elementary Education at the University of Northern Iowa and received her degree in 1994.

Kim’s first teaching position was in Clarinda teaching 5th grade and coaching middle school girl’s basketball. Her love of family drew her back to Northern Iowa and she accepted a position with Titonka Elementary School where she spent 17 years teaching, molding young lives, and being an inspiration to everyone she came into contact with. In 2013, Titonka Schools consolidated with Algona Community Schools and she finished her teaching career in Algona teaching 2nd grade. Kim always put the needs of her students first and would go out of her way to make them feel loved and welcome while they were under her care.

Kim married Alan Bernhard on Aug. 14, 1999. To their marriage, they were blessed with two boys, Luke (11) and Joshua (8). While teaching was her passion, her family was her greatest blessing and received her absolute focus. Kim made sure her boys’ needs were taken care of and always put their well-being ahead of her own.

Besides teaching, Kim loved spending time with friends, being outdoors, working with her flowers, baking and shopping. One of her greatest joys came from their annual vacation to Minnesota for camping and riding the bike trails with a favorite stop at “their” pie shop. While slow to anger, Kim was steadfast in her beliefs and stood up for what she knew was right, even if it wasn’t a popular opinion. Her faith in God and the assurance in a heavenly home is what kept her at peace with all of the adversities she faced.

Kim was a member of St. John’s Catholic Church in Bancroft, on the board of the Bancroft Public Library and a member of the Algona Education Association.

She is survived by Alan, Luke, and Josh, of Bancroft; her parents, Doneta Pedelty, of Clear Lake, and Ray and Lois Pedelty, of Ankeny; two sisters, Kristi Sly and her daughter, Cora Jane, of Altoona, Iowa, and Shelley Phelps, and her husband, Michael, and their children, Tatum, Thor, and Tenille, of Lone Rock. She is also survived by her parents‐in‐law, Mark and Barb Bernhard, of Algona; sister‐in‐law, Judy Wardenburg and her husband, Brad, of Williamsburg, Iowa; brother‐in‐law, Andrew Bernhard and daughter, Calista, of Burt, Iowa; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

She is preceded in death by her grandparents, Dean and Henrietta Pedelty and Floyd and Cora Willis; and aunt, Pamela Christiansen.

Oakcrest Funeral Services, of Bancroft, was in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.oakcrestfuneralservices.com.