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Obituary for Bernadine E. Stuecheli
Bernadine E. Stuecheli of Troy, Michigan died on Monday, May 21, 2012. She was 94 years old. Born April 20, 1918 in Perham, Minnesota, Bernadine was the daughter of Leo and Elizabeth Drahmann. She had one younger sister, Dolores. Her mother, Elizabeth Speiser, died in childbirth when Bernadine was 10 years old.
Bernadine and Dolores grew up with their 6 cousins in Perham, a town of 2000 people, where her father and uncle had the Drahmann Brothers Dry Goods Store. She graduated from the College of Saint Benedict in Saint Joseph, Minnesota in 1939 and received her Masters in Dietetics in 1940 from Cincinnati General Hospital. While there, she met and married Milton Stuecheli M.D. a Resident in Radiology. They lived briefly in Cincinnati, then moved to Grosse Pointe and later lived for 24 years in Birmingham. In 1978 they moved to Troy.
Bernadine was active in Holy Name Church, the Michigan Medical Auxiliary, the Village Club, various bridge groups, the Minnesota Club, Holy Name Knitting Works Ministry, and the AAUW.
She was a competitive bridge player into her �90�s, an avid reader, and a gourmet cook. She also enjoyed traveling, needlework, and knitting. She bought a new car at age 88, and drove until she was 93.
She was fiercely independent and loved people. She treasured her friendships�especially the 8 o�clock Mass group at Holy Name Church, who she called her �youth group.�
She loved life and always found something to celebrate---when she was 89, she celebrated the 30 year anniversary of her first artificial hip. She seemed to have limitless energy and curiosity. According to some of her grandchildren, she could learn the entire life history of a complete stranger in 3 minutes!
She taught her children and grandchildren that �family is the most important thing there is.� She delighted in spending time with her grandchildren and had special relationships with them. She kept abreast of their education, jobs, adventures and travels, giving advice freely.
She once said that �we are put on this earth to help other people� and she certainly set this example. She was always ready to help a family member or a friend by driving them somewhere, babysitting, cooking for a funeral lunch, knitting hats for premature babies, calling sick friends, etc.
She had a long and full life, in spite of enduring constant pain from rheumatoid arthritis and other ailments for many years. We are grateful to have had her with us for so long, and she will live on in all of us. She will always be remembered as a loving and devoted wife, mother, sister, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Bernadine is survived by her sister, Dolores Decker of Roswell, NM, her four children: Bernard (Diane), Steven, Ann Marie (Roland) and Robert (Barbara); her seven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband Milton, her daughter Mary Liz Steiner, and her grandson Douglas Brenninkmeyer.
The family will receive friends at the Lynch and Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Road (between 14 and 15 mile Roads) Thursday 3-8pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Holy Name Church, 630 Harmon, Birmingham, Friday May 25, 2012 at 10am. Friends may visit at church beginning at 9:30am. Burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery, Birmingham.
Blood donations to the American Red Cross or memorial donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 1471 E. 12 Mile Road, Madison Heights, Michigan 48071 would be appreciated.
