BERNHARD H. NEITZEL

Oct. 20, 1922 - Sept. 11, 2012
MISHAWAKA - Bernhard Henry Neitzel, Jr., 89, of Mishawaka, died Tuesday, September 11, 2012 in Southfield Village following an illness. Mr. Neitzel was born October 20, 1922 in South Bend to the late Carrie M. (Fuchs) and Bernhard H. Neitzel and was a lifetime area resident.

On June 20, 1948 in Mishawaka he married Shirley Jean Olcott, who preceded him in death June 15, 1992. He was also preceded in death by a sister, Susanna C. Klockow, and brother, Robert "Louis" Neitzel.

He is survived by his children, Cynthia N. Wenger (Larry C.) of Platte City, MO, David B. Neitzel (Sara E.) of Fishers, IN and Eric M. Neitzel of Signal Hill, CA; seven grandchildren, Renee Audet, Andrea Davis, Phaedra Neitzel, Blake Neitzel, Tyler Neitzel, Emily Neitzel, and Andrew Neitzel; two great-grandsons, Ethan and Wyatt Davis; a sister, Bernhardine Timmons (Richard) of Phoenix, AZ; and his loving friend, Eleanor Shoup of South Bend. 

Bernie retired as an investment advisor for Robert Baird & Co. and had previously been the manager at Thomson McKinnon for over 30 years. He was a very kind, generous person who enjoyed doing things for people, more recently and most often regularly visiting the South Bend Farmers Market to buy fresh fruits and vegetables to give to his family and friends or to people who had provided good service to him. He would visit the west side of South Bend to buy Providence sweet corn and give that to fellow parishioners. Another favorite thing to do was to send cookies from the West End Bakery in Mishawaka to relatives across the United States. He loved to eat with close friends at small family-owned restaurants that served good food and he loved it even more if he could get a meal for a good value.

He was of strong Christian faith and for the last twenty plus years regularly attended Saint Luke Church on the north side of Chicago, particularly enjoying the Lutheran worship service and the church's Bach Cantata performances. Perhaps one of his greatest gifts to his family was to instill the "travel bug" and a greater appreciation of the world, starting at an early age. Every summer there was a family vacation such as a trip to Canada, visiting relatives in Aiken, SC, renting a cabin for a week on the shore of Lake Michigan, a motorhome trip out West, and a European tour in 1967 commemorating the 450th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Being the generous person that he was, he took his entire family plus several close family friends on an extended vacation to Germany. He returned to Germany in the Bavarian Alps and also the small Austrian mountain resort town of Lofer numerous times with his family. He especially enjoyed sacred pipe organ music and in 2000 traveled with son David through Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic led by Michael Barone, host of the public radio program, Pipedreams, on a European Organ Tour. Bernie had a dry sense of humor, often telling a joke as a straight story. He liked it best if it took you a while to get it.

Several years ago he enjoyed palindromes, a word or phrase that is the same backwards and forwards, such as "a Toyota" or Yreka Bakery", yes, a real place in California. He will be truly missed by all of his family and friends.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 15th in the chapel of Southfield Village, 6450 Miami Circle. Committal services and burial will follow in Riverview Cemetery. The family will receive friends today, September 14th, from 4 until 7 p.m., in the Welsheimer Family Funeral Home, 521 N. William St. and on Saturday at Southfield Village from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service. There will also be a celebration at Saint Luke Church, 1500 W. Belmont, Chicago, IL, 60657 (773-472-3383, stlukechicago.org) on Saturday, October 20th, tentatively scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Chicago time. Memorial contributions may be made to the Saint Luke Bach Cantata Series c/o Saint Luke Church or the Resident Assistance Fund c/o Southfield Village, 6450 Miami Circle, South Bend, IN, 46614.

Published by South Bend Tribune on Sep. 14, 2012.

03/07/2023 EJS