Bernard Robert Giese was born on July 10, 1926 in the family home in Fort Dodge, Iowa. "Bernie" passed away Saturday afternoon, February 21, 2015 at the Garden View Care Center in Shenandoah, Iowa, at the age of 88. His parents were Russell and Juanita (Koll) Giese.

He attended the Fort Dodge Schools and graduated high school with the Class of 1943. In junior high, he went out for football and broke both shoulder blades. That was the end of his football career. His father worked on the Illinois Central Railroad and his mother stayed home with the children.

When World War II broke out, he talked his parents into signing the papers that would allow him to join the Air Force at age 17. One of his duties was to take home a boy killed in service. He had a long relationship with the parents. Another memory Bernie talked about was when he flew over Japan and saw the destruction of the atom bomb.

After receiving his discharge, he went back to Fort Dodge and worked for the Railroad for awhile, then Brooks Laundry and Sunbeam Dairy. Soon after, he began working for Gambles Corp. Shortly after coming back to Fort Dodge, he met the love of his life, Ardyce Durschmidt. They were married in 1947. In 1948, they had their first child, Karen. It was hard after the war to find housing, but soon after Karen came into the world, Bernie and Ardyce bought their first two bedroom home and did all the work themselves, sometimes even staying up round the clock. In 1954, Russell was born.

In 1956, Bernie was transferred by Gambles Corp. to Shenandoah, Iowa. He played softball on the Methodist Church team. And then he discovered "GOLF", and he loved it! He has been Club champion, Handicapped champion, and Senior's champion. He has also had several holes-in-one. When Gambles came up for sale, Bernie and Ardyce jumped on it. They turned it into an appliance store from a hardware store. They also owned the Furniture Store and the Carpet Store. He served three, seven year terms on the executive board of the American Legion Country Club.

In the last years of Bernie's life you would have seen him around the neighborhood on his little red scooter called the rascal. He would ride with John Longstreet or go to his granddaughter's house up the street to do any remaining work on the house.

Preceding Bernie in death were his parents, Russell and Juanita (Koll) Giese; son, Russell (Rusty) Giese; sister, Audrey Hartman and brother-in-law, DeWayne. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Ardyce (Durschmidt) Giese; daughter, Karen Casteel of Bradenton, FL; granddaughters Carrie Fuller and husband Brian of Arcadia, FL and Hali Mayer and husband Travis of Shenandoah, IA; other relatives and many friends.

A memorial is being established. Private family inurnment will be in the Rose Hill Cemetery.