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Obituary
Lois (Kevan) Bernhardt, 86, of Clarion passed away Thursday, May 11, 2006 at Mercy Medical Center of North Iowa in Mason City, Iowa.
Lois, the daughter of Jay and Golda (Lee) Kevan, was born November 22, 1919 in Dow City, Iowa.
Lois's father Jay, was killed in a school bus accident when Lois was seven years old. Her mother, Golda, raised Lois, her two sisters, and a brother during the Great Depression. While times were difficult for a widow with four children to raise, she was able to instill the value of education and hard work. Lois's early education began in Dow City and Denison and she graduated from Schaller High School in 1937, where she also won the State of Iowa typing championship, a feat that would serve her well in the war years to come.
After high school, Lois graduated from the American Institute of Business, Des Moines, Iowa in 1939. After a short stint with an insurance company, Lois bought a one-way ticket to Washington D.C. in answer to a call for secretaries in the war effort. Upon arrival she began what would become an exciting and unusual career in the tumultuous war years of 1940-45. She began in the War Department and soon found herself working in the White House for Secretary of State, Mr. James F. Byrnes.
While working for Mr. Byrnes, Lois typed the original United Nations charter, the surrender terms for Japan, and many other official war documents. She also attended the Potsdam conference in Germany and the first United Nations conference in San Francisco where she typed the official English version of the proceedings. At war's end, Lois married her high school sweetheart and Navy pilot Bob Bernhardt on November 25, 1945. Secretary of State Byrnes gave her away in marriage.
To this union were born four children - Jeanne (Gary) Watts of Riceville, Iowa, Judy (Phil) Kirstein and Ken (Mari) Bernhardt of Clarion, Iowa, and Kevin (Daneen) Bernhardt of Platteville, Wisconsin. Lois is also survived by thirteen grandchildren - Deana (Sam) Hill, Dana, and Heather Watts; Kent (Kelly), Dean (Abby), and cole Kirstein; Jennifer (Troy) Askelsen, Rhonda (chett) Ray, and Mark Bemhardt; Joshua, Jacob, Ethan, and Maria Bernhardt; and eight great grandchildren. Lois was an active member of the United Methodist Church, Grace Stockwell Circle, CERES Circle, and P.E.O. Lois was active in supporting kids, grandkids, and great grandkids in all their activities. She was strong in faith and passed on her strength to all those she touched.
Lois was preceded in death by her parents, brother, Donald, and two sisters, Lillian and Beth.