Reverend Walter J. Bernard, Jr., 90, of Forest, Virginia, went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, February 20, 2025.

Walter was born April 29, 1934, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the son of Bessie G. (Pratt) and Walter J. Bernard, Sr. He graduated from Washington High School in 1953, and from Christian Workers Institute in Sioux Falls. Later, he received a Bachelor of Science in Religion at the University of Dubuque, in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1978. He also attended and achieved Certification of Attainment from the United
Methodist Church Ministerial Courses of Study from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in August 1980.

With a passion to share his faith in Jesus Christ, Walter accepted pastoral positions in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. He served Open Bible churches, community churches and United Methodist congregations in Iowa, retiring from pastoral ministry in 2004. His zeal to see all generations respond to the gospel message enlivened Vacation Bible School, prompted traveling with youth to area Jesus
music festival weekends, and he enjoyed sharing conversations and coffee regularly with friends old and new at the local coffee shop.

Walter was united in marriage to Helen Soderberg in Howard, South Dakota, on November 28, 1957. Time relaxing with family and friends was also important to Walter. He would travel to church conferences and took family vacations from Florida to New York to California and many points in between. After Helen died in 1992, he married Verlee Muller on January 15, 1994, in Defiance, Iowa.
Walter and Verlee enjoyed traveling all over the U.S., including a “bucket list” Hawaiian adventure. They made their home in Harlan, Iowa, enjoying time with children and grandchildren following Walter's retirement from pastoral ministry.

After Verlee passed away in 2007, Walter lived in Harlan for another five years, before moving to the Forest, Virginia area. He enjoyed meeting people in his new community and he was thrilled to be part of the Mountain View Church in Forest. Walter served fellow members there in men's ministries, prayed for others, sang solos and sang with the choir, and was as involved as his health allowed. In his spare time, Walter loved gardening, seeing cool hot rods and classic cars, traveling, and hanging out with family and grandkids.

Walter was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Helen, and his wife Verlee, his son Barry, his brother Charles and Charles' wife Eleanor, his sister Lorena Troxel, his nephews: James Bernard, John Bernard, Charles Bernard, Jr., Ernest Cope, and many other relatives and dear friends.

Grateful for having shared his life are his daughters Starla (Jeff) Kraber of Forest, Virginia, and Tamara (Jeff) Rapp of Osceola, Wisconsin; grandchildren: Jared Rapp, Janae Rapp, Joelle (James) Ritchhart, and Jason Rapp, several nieces and nephews, extended members of Verlee's family, other relatives, and dear friends.

Those wishing to make donations in memory of Walter, please consider Samaritan's Purse at www.samaritanspurse.org , or Mountain View Church (Mission Fund) to Mountain View Church, P.O. Box 543, Forest, VA 24551.

The Celebration of Life for Walter Bernard will be at 2:00 pm on Sunday, March 2, at Mountain View Church in Forest, Virginia. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at Mountain View Church.

An additional Celebration of Life service will be held at Faith Temple Church, 2121 West 33rd Street, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Friday, March 14, at 11:00 am. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.

Arrangements are being handled by Updike Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Bedford.