Bernadine B. Lee , 97, of Velva died Wednesday, September 8, at Trinity Hospital under the care of Trinity Hospice in Minot.

Bernadine was born Oct. 13th, 1912 in North Prairie Township to Joseph and Hannah (Butt ) Effertz. She was raised on a farm in North Prairie Township, attended grade school in Sawyer and graduated from Velva High School in 1931.

She sewed for people and then worked in ready to wear at Fauchald's Department Store in Minot until she married Irwin Lee, September 8th, 1940. They lived on a farm northwest of Velva where they raised small grains and cattle. Irwin died in 1965. Bernadine attended Lake Region Junior College in Devils Lake and obtained her Practical Nursing License in September 1967. She moved to Minot and was employed at St. Joseph's Hospital until she retired. In 2006 she moved to Valley View Manor in Velva.

Bernadine was presently a member of Oak Valley Lutheran Church Velva and a former member of Zion Lutheran Church - Minot and its Faith Circle as well as Norwich Lutheran Church. She was a member of the Sawyer Cemetery Association, an area homemaker's group and was a 4-H leader.

She is survived by her son, Larry (Margie Martin)Lee, Velva; her daughter, Linda Thomas, Moorhead, Minn; grandchildren, Lori (Gene) Flaten, Curtis(Susan) Lee all of Velva; Jeanette Thomas and partner, Larissa Nelson, Eden Prairie, Minn, and Colleen (Aaron) Murray, Moorhead, Minn, Sarah (Steve) Lee, Bismarck, and Kevin (Lori) Martin, Danville, Calif. and great-grandchildren, Jake and Zack Flaten, Codee, Colten, Jonnah, and Hayden Lee, Eleanor Nelson Thomas, Meredith Thomas Nelson, Morgan Murray, James and Erika Lee and Ella Martin; sister: Marcella Johnson; brother: Gerald (Loretta) Effertz; sister-in-law: Lois Effertz and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, four brothers, Jerome, Marcus, Stanley and Sylvester, a sister, Katherine Lee, and a daughter-in-law, Nancy (Wojahn) Lee.

Funeral: Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. in Oak Valley Lutheran Church, Velva.
Interment will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens.
Visitation : Friday from 2:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. in Thomas Family Funeral Home Minot.
Memorials: In lieu of flowers, the family suggests Valley View Manor, Velva or Trinity Hospice.