Berdina Barbara Zimmer

Bernie Zimmer, 77, Mesa, Arizona, passed away peacefully July 14, 2024, after a brief battle with cancer. It is comforting thinking that she is once again dancing in heaven with her beloved husband Mel.

Bernie was born to John Paul and Caroline (Horner) Paul on January 27, 1947, in Linton, North Dakota. Shortly after high school graduation in 1965, Bernie and Mel were married before Mel headed off to Vietnam. Bernie was proudly a homemaker, mother of three, mother-in-law to two, grandmother to four, and great-grandmother to one. Later in life, she went back to school and earned her LPN certification. Outside the home, Bernie worked as a nurse in South Dakota and as a teacher for the Head Start program on the Oregon Coast. She loved reading, laughing, Dungeness crab, and playing games, especially with her grandkids. She was also known for her specialty banana bread and heavenly rolls and buns. Bernie and Mel retired to Mesa, Arizona in 2012; where they began their new adventures traveling across the country in their motorhome.

Bernie is survived by her loving children, Mel Jr. (Jodi), Tim (Joann) and Julie; grandsons, Ryan (Danielle) and Alex; granddaughters, Alesha and Sidney; great-grandson, Lucas; and her older brother, Ed. Additionally, Bernie leaves behind countless extended family and friends from all over the country. 

She was preceded in death by her husband, Mel; her parents, John and Caroline; three brothers, Leo, Willie and Eugene; and five sisters, Rose Fischer, Alvina Paul, Isabella Ternes, Luella Reed, and Lillian Sullivan.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM, Friday, September 27, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Pkwy, Bismarck. Immediately following the service there will be a time for lunch and fellowship.

Burial will be held at 1:00 PM at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan.