Obituary of Ileen Bernhardt

Ileen Margaret Bernhardt, 95, died peacefully on June 20, 2023. Born in Dalton, Nebraska in 1927 to Anton and Edith Schmitt, the 5th of 6 children, she graduated as Salutatorian from nearby Saint Patrick’s High School before moving to Denver, Colorado in 1945 where she met her future husband Rienhardt Ralph Bernhardt. They married in 1947 and were together for 70 years through his career in the U.S. Air Force in Colorado, New Mexico, Alaska and Virginia before settling back in Arvada, Colorado in 1967. Ileen was active in her community serving as an elementary school classroom aide, a volunteer for the Arvada Center, and numerous ministries in her local Catholic church. She loved collecting, selling and giving Avon products and had the best green thumb keeping plants alive long after the rest of her family had given up hope. As avid hikers, she and Ralph were active members of the Colorado Mountain Club having climbed many of the Colorado trails and peaks. They also completed Volksmarches in every state and many European nations.

She and Ralph moved to Pueblo, Colorado in 2007 to be nearer family and, once again, built a community of friends, neighbors and fellow parishioners. After Ralph died in 2017, she eventually came to Venice to be near her son and settled into the Memory Care Unit at Cadbury Park.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, her loving husband and her grandson, Andrew Milinazzo. She is survived by her son, Gregory Bernhardt (Susan Praeger) of Venice, and her three daughters in Colorado: Deborah Bernhardt of Trinidad, Valerie Bernhardt (Jeff Koiter) of Fort Collins; and Rebecca Milinazzo (Frank) of Trinidad. She will be missed by her grandchildren Sarah Bernhardt (AK), Chris Bernhardt (VA), her Colorado grandchildren Amanda Felthager, Ginny Bayes Hall, and Wylie Bayes; and her 5 great grandchildren: Henry and Hugh Wiseman (AK); Jacob Atencio, D’Angelo and Sydney Bayes (CO).

She was supported during her final years in Colorado and Florida by family, friends , her lasting faith and a community of professionals who lovingly cared for her at home and eventually at Cadbury Park . Many thanks go to: all of the nursing and support staff who cared for her; the entire vigilant team from Tidewell Hospice; Epiphany Cathedral ministries; and her wonderful neighborhood physician.

She will be laid to rest with her husband at Mountain View Cemetery in Pueblo, CO at a later date.