Fern V. Berner

BERNER, Mrs. Fern V.
of Kalamazoo, MI Passed away on October 11, 2011 at Rose Arbor Hospice with her family by her side. She was born on July 20, 1927 in Kalamazoo, the third child of Martin and Anna Richter Smith, both of whom preceded her in death. She grew up and attended school in the Kalamazoo area. On September 15, 1944 she married the love of her life, Louis Berner, who preceded her in death in 2007. Also preceding her in death were her son Louis Jr. and his wife Agne, her brother Robert Smith, her sister Clara Srackangast, and her granddaughter Heidi Weiss. Surviving are her daughter Charlotte Phillip Weiss of Richland, Michigan, son Daniel Sue Berner of Lafayette, Indiana; seven grandchildren, Kimberly Weiss and Marcia Scott Poole, both of Kalamazoo, Meghan Berner and Joseph Berner, both of Lafayette, Indiana, Holin Colin Blackburn of Iowa, and Marius and Erik Berner of Homer Glen, Illinois. Also surviving are four great-grandchildren, Lauren and Nolan Padley, Andrew and Justin Poole all of Kalamazoo, a sister, Lillian Alfred DeFrancisco of Otsego, Michigan, a sister-in-law, Eleanor Smith of Lansing, and several nieces and nephews. Fern was a stay at home mother for many years. After that, she was employed by the United States Postal Service and also by Western Michigan University Printing Services, where she retired from. Fern enjoyed traveling to many different places throughout the world with her husband, her siblings, her children, and her grandchildren. She also enjoyed collecting memorabilia from her travels, camping with her family, and attending her grandchildren's and great-grandchildren's various activities. The family would like to extend their thanks to all of Fern's doctors and the staff at Rose Arbor Hospice for the wonderful care they gave her. In keeping with her wishes, a graveside service will be held 1 o'clock Friday in Fort Custer National Cemetery. There will be no visitation. Those wanting to attended services should meet at the Fort Custer main entrance by 12:45. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan. Arrangements were made by the Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Memorial Chapel, 622 S. Burdick St.