Obituary

Bernard T. Meiners, 95 of Coon Rapids, died Monday, September 1, 2025 at Thomas Rest Haven in Coon Rapids surrounded by his family.

Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Friday, September 5, 2025 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Dedham. The Celebrant will be Fr. Patrick Behm, assisted by Deacon Louis Meiners. Music will be by Jane Heithoff and the St. Joseph’s Choir. Lector for the Funeral Mass will be Jill Klein. Gift Bearers will be Talina Haskins, Caitlin ThongVahn, and Amanda Meiners. Casket Bearers will be Brian Meiners, Ben Meiners, Aaron Meiners, Lucas Meiners, Jason Nees, Mike Nees, Ryan Schultes, Tyler Schultes, Jordan Schultes, Justin Meiners, and Trenton Meiners. Burial will be in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Dedham with military honors conducted by the Dedham American Legion.

A visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll with a rosary at 7 p.m. The casket will be moved to St. Joseph’s Church on Friday morning where additional visitation will be from 9:30-10:15 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left at the funeral home or the church for a later designation.

Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for Bernard’s family at www.sharpfuneral.com.

Hilda Tunning, age 81, of Dedham, Iowa, died Sunday evening, April 26, 2009, at the Thomas Rest Haven in Coon Rapids, Iowa. Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 A.M., Thursday, April 30, 2009, at St. Joseph Church in Dedham. The Celebrant will be Father Anthony Pick assisted by Deacon Louis Meiners. Lector will be Karen Willenborg. Gift Bearers will be granddaughters, Stephanie Lemke, Kenzie Weitl, Megan Owen, Cheri Stalder, and Teresa Goodson. Mass Servers will be Danny and Brittany Baumhover. Eucharistic Ministers will be Steve Seidl and LaVern Greving. Honorary Pallbearers will be Jane Meiners, Carol Meiners, Verna Tunning, Linda Tunning, Sue Seidl, and Leona Seidl. Casket Bearers will be grandsons, Matt Owen, Mike Owen, Bob Tunning, Jeremy Tunning, Cory Tunning, Jason Snyder, Jeff Snyder, Foster Alley, Phillip Alley, Tyler Tunning and Ryan Tunning. Burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery in Dedham. Friends may call at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll after 3 P.M. Wednesday. A rosary will be prayed at 4 P.M. Wednesday. There will be a Christian wake service at 7 P.M. Wednesday by St. Joseph Parish. Mrs. Tunning was born on September 15, 1927, at Roselle, Iowa, the daughter of John and Catherine (Uhlenkamp) Willenborg. She spent her younger years in the Roselle community and attended Holy Angels School. On November 16, 1949, she was married to Norbert H. Tunning at Holy Angels Church in Roselle with Father Bernard Montag officiating. The couple lived on the family farm southeast of Dedham where Mrs. Tunning was a homemaker and helped with the livestock and field work as well as various seasonal jobs. She was a member of St. Joseph Parish and Parish Ladies Guild. Mrs. Tunning enjoyed her family with every Sunday get-togethers, playing cards, fishing and anything done outdoors. In 1991 she suffered a stroke but remained at home with the care of her husband. She still enjoyed her family and playing cards and learned how to quilt and paint wood crafts. She was always known for her joy of praying the rosary. She became a resident of the Thomas Rest Haven in July 2005. Survivors include her children, Diane Owen and her husband Dan of Carroll, Dick Tunning and his wife Connie of Dedham, Joyce Snyder and her husband Eugene of Breda, Cindy Kasperbauer and her husband Roger of Dedham, Patty Alley and her special friend Lynn Wuebker of Maple River, and Dave Tunning and his wife Jen of Carroll; daughter-in-law, Charlotte Gaer of Springfield, Missouri; sixteen grandchildren; ten great grandchildren; a brother, Ed Willenborg and his wife Marlene of Carroll; and sisters and brothers-in-law, Leona and Edwin Dopheide of Carroll, Lavina Willenborg of Carroll, and Louise Willenborg of Buena Vista, Colorado. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Norbert H. Tunning, in September 2005; two sons, Norbert Tunning Jr., in infancy and Kenneth Tunning at age 21; a grandson, Josh Tunning; sisters, Marcella Daniel and Leona Caldwell; and brothers, Norbert Willenborg, Joseph Willenborg, Paul Willenborg, and Raymond Willenborg, in infancy.

Church Service

Friday, September 5, 2025 10:30 a.m.
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
420 3rd Ave, Dedham, IA 51440

Burial

Sharp Funeral Home ~ Carroll, Iowa

226 W. 8th St., Carroll, IA, 51401

712-792-4301

[email protected]

https://www.sharpfuneral.com

Church Service

Thursday, September 4, 2025
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. – Rosary at 7:00 p.m.
Sharp Funeral Home – Carroll
226 W. 8th St, Carroll, IA 50401

Friday, September 5, 2025
9:30 – 10:15 a.m.
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
420 3rd Ave, Dedham, IA 51440

Obituary

Born March 31, 1930, he was the son of Bernard and Catherine (Rotert) Meiners. He grew up in the Dedham-Willey area and graduated from St. Mary’s School in Willey in 1943. He entered the U.S. Army July 8, 1953 and was stationed at Wurzburg, Germany. He was discharged on May 20, 1955.

Bernard married Dolores S. Halbur on January 24, 1956 at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Halbur. After being married Bernard and Dolores lived 3 miles north of Dedham for two years. In 1958, they moved to the farm they purchased four miles east of Dedham. They were the parents of six children: Daniel, Dale, David, Cathleen, Christine, and Gary. Dolores passed away January 21, 1978.

On August 9, 1980, Bernard married Marita Eickman at Annunciation Catholic Church in Coon Rapids. In May 2011, Bernard and Marita moved off the farm into the town of Coon Rapids, Iowa. They made their home there for 14 years. In April 2025, they moved to Parkview Assisted Living in Coon Rapids, Iowa.

During Bernard’s lifetime, he farmed, had a dairy operation, had a cow/calf operation, and raised hogs. He retired in 1992. He is a current member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church of Dedham, a member of the Dedham American Legion Post #20, and a member of the Manning VFW. In July 2001 Bernard, being a Korean Veteran, had the privilege to go on the Military Honor Flight to Washington DC. Just recently he was presented with a Quilt of Valor at Thomas Rest Haven, and at the age of 95 he still enjoyed attending the Legion meetings.

Bernard loved spending time with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Holiday gatherings were a treat for him to get to see most of them at one time. In his spare time Bernard enjoyed gathering black walnuts in the fall and kept busy shelling the walnuts during the winter. Family and friends benefited from the fruits of his labor.

Bernard is survived by his wife of 45 years, Marita Meiners; his children, Dale (Mary) Meiners of Carroll, David (Jane) Meiners of Varna, IL, Cathleen (Larry) Nees of Coon Rapids, Christine (Mark) Schultes of Dedham, and Gary (Barb) Meiners of Manson; 19 grandchildren; 32 great grandchildren with 2 more coming in October; a brother Anthony (Colleen) Meiners of Carroll; 2 sisters, Catherine Wittrock of Carroll and Marcella Naberhaus of Carroll; his sisters-in-laws, Margaret (Tom) Denker of Manning, and Pat (Joe) Goblirsch of Jesup. He is also survived by Marita’s children, Richard (Sandy) Eickman of Omaha, NE, James (Joni) Eickman of Dyer, TN, Dave (Joan) Eickman of Macungie, PA, Randy (Rose) Eickman of Coon Rapids, Nancy Eickman and Jim Springer of Warren, NJ, and Karen Heck of Delano, MN, and many nieces and nephews.

Bernard was preceded in death by his first wife Dolores S. Meiners; a son Daniel J. Meiners; Marita’s son Bill Eickman; his parents Bernard and Catherine Meiners; his brothers John (Margaret) Meiners, Albert (Frances) Meiners; his brothers-in-law Clarence Wittrock, Norbert Naberhaus, Cletus (Emaline) Halbur, Norman (Inez) Halbur, Larry (JoAnn) Halbur; his brother-in-law, William (Marie) Halbur; Dolores’ parents, William and Frances Halbur, and stepmother-in-law, Josephine Halbur.

To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Bernard T. Meiners, please visit our Sympathy Store.

Tribute Wall

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Please accept my deepest sympothy. I have many great memories of Grandma Tunning. Many are of the farm and the get togethers that we had at the park.So very sorry for your loss.

Jennifer Walles – April 28 2009 at 11:58 PM

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I cannot be there but will be thinking about all of you and you will be in my prayers. Kim

Kim Matz – April 28 2009 at 4:57 PM

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