Bernard J Powers

Mankato Mortuary
1001 N. Riverfront Drive
Mankato, Minnesota 56001
507-388-2202


Bernard Joseph Powers, 92, of Mankato, passed away on Thursday, May 29, 2014, at Seasons Hospice House in Rochester.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m., Thursday, June 5, 2014, at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Mankato. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m., Wednesday at Mankato Mortuary, with a 7 p.m. Prayer Service. Visitation continues one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery in Mankato. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to the American Diabetes Association, Seasons Hospice in Rochester, or a charity of the donor's choice.

Bernie was born September 17, 1921, to Frederick and Frances (Dugan) Powers in St. Peter, and he was raised on his parents' farm near Traverse. He graduated from St. Peter High School in 1939, and from St. Thomas College, St. Paul, with a degree in chemistry in 1943. After his graduation from St. Thomas, he entered the Navy and trained as an officer at Great Lakes Naval Base in Chicago. As an Ensign, he was assigned to the officer group on LCI (G) 438, a gunboat fighting in the South Pacific during World War II. He fought in several South Pacific battles, and was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade in February 1945, when he became commanding officer of his ship. Soon after his promotion, he led his ship into battle at Iwo Jima, where he won the Navy's highest honor, the Navy Cross, for "extraordinary heroism as Commanding Officer of LCI (G) 438 during the close-in fire support operations at Iwo Jima."

On July 11, 1945, he married Mariella Havel Powers in Montgomery. Bernie and Mariella moved to Chicago, where Bernie earned his DDS degree at Loyola College of Dentistry in 1950. By the time Bernie finished dental school, Bernie and Mariella had a family of three daughters, Mary Ellen, Kathleen and Peggy. The family moved to North Mankato, where Bernie practiced dentistry for 5 years, and they added one more daughter, Grace, to the family. In 1956, Bernie and family returned to Chicago where he completed his MS degree in orthodontics. After graduation, the family moved back to Mankato, and Bernie established a practice in orthodontics from 1958 until his retirement in 1983. The practice he started grew to be one of the largest in Southern Minnesota.

In addition to orthodontics, Bernie had many interests. His life followed the adage, "You can take the boy out of the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the boy." Bernie bought his farm near Judson and enjoyed raising exotic breeds of cattle, including the French breeds, Charlois and Maine Anjou. He and Mariella also built a cabin on Lake Washington where their children and grandchildren enjoyed years of summer weekends and grew to love being near the water.

On their 50th wedding anniversary, Bernie and Mariella took their children, grandchildren, Bernie's brother and sisters and some nieces and nephews on a grand tour of Ireland " a trip the family will always remember for its ties to the homeland and the love and laughter they shared. This trip instilled a deeper love for family and a lasting longing for travel among all who enjoyed the Ireland experience.

The most celebrated of Bernie's traits was his sense of humor. He laughed hard and often, and he knew how to bring a smile to even the most serious situation. He used many aphorisms that his children and grandchildren will long remember. One of his favorites was the one he'd often say to Mariella, "If you weren't married, I'd marry you."

Bernie is survived by his wife of 68 years, Mariella; daughters, Mary Ellen (Dick) Landwehr, Peggy (Tim Rourke) Powers, and Grace (John) Perry; grandchildren, Brian (Jen) Landwehr, Shannon Landwehr, Colleen (Eric) Teynor, John (Julie) Howard, Thomas Howard, Tessa Powers, Seth (Jenny) Goettl, Rachel (Danny) O'Connor, and Sean Perry; nine great grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, grand nieces, and grand nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Kathleen Howard; brother, Fritz Powers; and sisters, Mary Kurth and Patricia Bernhard.

The family would like to thank the staff of Madonna Towers Skilled Nursing Facility and the staff of Seasons Hospice for their care and kindness during Bernie's final months.