Hazel Berndt

Hazel L. Berndt, age 96 of Janesville, died on Monday, July 4, 2011 at the Janesville Nursing Home.             Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 8th at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Smiths Mill, with Rev. Del Begalka officiating. Interment will be in the Smiths Mill Cemetery.             Visitation will be held on Thursday, July 7th from 4 to 7 p.m. at Arnoldt-McRaith Funeral Home & Crematory in Janesville, and will continue on Friday morning for one hour prior to services at church. Memorials are preferred to Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church.             Hazel Louise was born on December 5, 1914 to Edward and Clara (Youngerberg) Ziemke in Janesville Township, Waseca County, Minnesota. She was baptized on December 13, 1914 at her home by Rev. William Nickels. On August 11, 1929 Hazel was confirmed by Rev. H.A. Kuether at Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church in Smiths Mill. She attended Dist. # 73 country school in Janesville Township. On September 22, 1937 she was united in marriage to Theodore C. Berndt at Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church in Smiths Mill. Hazel and Theodore resided on their LeRay Township farm for the first 8 years of their marriage and in 1945 they moved to the Ziemke Family Farm northwest of Janesville. She enjoyed her role as a farm wife and helped with many of the farm chores. After their retirement from farming in 1976, Hazel and Theodore moved into Janesville. In 2003 she moved into Park Road Plaza and most recently was a resident of the Janesville Nursing Home. She was a lifetime member of Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church in Smiths Mill and served on the Ladies Aid for many years. Hazel enjoyed cooking and spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren.             She is survived by her two daughters, Sharon (Eugene) Miller of rural Janesville and Shirley (Burt) Peterson of Prior Lake; by her four grandchildren, Brian (Cathy) Miller of Estherville, IA., Benjamin (Christine) Miller of Cazenovia, WI., Bradley Peterson of Prior Lake and Brent (Dawn) Peterson of Burnsville; by her four great grandchildren, Alex Miller, Amanda Vagle, Jacob Peterson and Sarah Dunker.               She was preceded in death by her parents; by her husband Theodore on September 18, 1999; by her three sisters, Evelyn Schroeder, Vera Priem and June Dumdei.