Obituary of Daryl Clarence Bernard

Daryl Clarence Bernard died at age 89 on Sunday, February 10th with his daughters, Janis Skott and Nancy Nissen, and the caring staff at Sister James Care Center by his side. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 am, Saturday, March 2, 2013 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Yankton, with Rev. Mark Lichter officiating. He will be laid to rest at Sacred Heart Cemetery next to his adored Marvis following the service with Military Graveside Rites by the Ernest-Bowyer VFW Post #791 Honor Guard and the SDARNG Honor Guard. Visitations will begin at 4:00 pm, Friday March 1, 2013 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Crematory, Yankton, with a rosary at 7:00 pm followed by a Scripture service at 7:30 pm. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. Daryl Clarence was born on his family farm, September 22, 1923 in Jefferson, SD to Clarence and Bernadette Bernard. He was their first born but was soon followed by Marcus, Bernie Rae, and Buddy Jr. He attended St. Peter's Parochial School and graduated from Jefferson High School in 1941 where he was active in drama, sports, and staying on top of his academics (when he wasn't working on the farm or thinking about baseball). He attended Yankton College from 1942-43 until he entered the Navy V-12 program at Minot State Teachers College in Minot, North Dakota. He was stationed at Asbury Park Naval Institute in New Jersey and then was off to New York's Columbia and Cornell Universities for further training. In 1945, he was assigned to the USS Gordon AF-43 as an engineering officer in the South Pacific. He served until 1946 when he returned to Yankton College. It was there that he met and courted the love of his life, Marvis Wilcox. Although the two of them grew up on farms just one mile apart in rural Jefferson, Yankton College brought them together. While attending school full-time, Daryl paid for his college education on the GI bill and by working part-time at the Diamond Shoe Store. Daryl had a monumental year in 1948, he graduated from Yankton College with a BA in mathematics and a minor in science. He married Marvis Wilcox, whisking her away to Rapid City, SD where they both became teachers. They enjoyed their time in the Black Hills but yearned for their family and friends back in Yankton, they moved back in 1949 where Yankton became their permanent home. Daryl did a short stint back at the Diamond Shoe Store and then was hired by Sears and Roebuck where he worked in the Sales Department for 40 years, culminating as the Department Head of Sales. Daryl was extremely active in the Yankton community. He was an avid hunter and a proud member of Sacred Heart Parish (50 years), the Yankton Baseball Association and all its youth programs, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Knights of Columbus, Elks 994, and the Golden Kiwanis. He won numerous life-time achievement awards including Seratoma Service to Mankind Award, Sporting Outfitters Heroes Award, and was an original inductee of the Yankton Baseball Hall of Fame. He was extremely proud to be named, with Marvis, Captain and Belle of Riverboat Days 1992. Several years ago, Daryl was chosen to participate in the final "Honor Flight" to Washington, DC with fellow World War II veterans. He spoke of that trip and fellow veterans with great honor and pride. You would often see Daryl walking around Fantle Memorial Park (with or without a dog) to get his daily exercise, lecturing at Sacred Heart Church, filling the coffee pots at the Knights of Columbus breakfast, having coffee after mass at Hy-Vee, volunteering with TEAM at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital or in his acre garden rototilling or digging up something for the dinner table for his family and friends. Daryl's passion was baseball at every level, from the Yankton Teeners to the annual family trips to the Kansas City Royals and his beloved St. Louis Cardinals stadiums. Daryl could not get enough of baseball. It is fitting to know that Daryl requested that everyone attending his funeral sing "Take me out to the ballgame" as his final departure song. Daryl is survived by his brother, Marcus and his wife Margaret; five children: Janis Skott and her husband, Randy, Nancy Nissen of, Jim Bernard and wife, Chris, Susan Bernard and Beth Bernard; 13 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.