Bernadine E. "Bernie" (Mrs. Sidney) Lee, 87, of Rochester, MN died on Friday, April 7, 2006, at Mayo Hospice in Rochester, surrounded by family. She passed away from complications of a recent hospitalization.

She was born on April 29, 1918 to George and Martha (nee Rottke) Hoversten in central Iowa. After several years, the family relocated to Meriden, MN and continued farming. Bernadine graduated from Waseca High School and worked at the Mayo Clinic until the beginning of WWII. During that war, she was enrolled in the Franklin School of Nursing in San Francisco earning her RN degree while nursing returning servicemen. Later, in 1981, she earned her BSN degree Magna Cum Laude from Mankato State University. In between pursuing degrees, she worked as an RN at the Waseca Memorial Hospital, Waseca, MN; as a Nursing Supervisor at the Lake Shore Inn Nursing Home, Waseca, MN; and as an Instructional Specialist at the Faribault State Hospital. While with the State of Minnesota and after, she wrote three books, participated in two specialized international projects, designed adaptive feeding tools for the multi-handicapped, produced six videos, and lectured throughout the Midwest, USSR, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and the Philippines.

After their retirement, Bernadine and her husband, Sidney, traveled extensively throughout the world. Bernadine never stopped nursing which included starting parish nursing programs and health fairs at several churches. She was also a commissioned Stephen's Minister and a volunteer for many programs. Her favorite interests were designing creative tapestries, elegant needlework, reading, and gourmet cooking which she had studied at the Cordon Bleu School in France. She will be missed by the family and friends whose welfare she always cared for. She was a wonderful mother and loyal friend.

She is survived by four sons Douglas (Kathy), Dennis (Karen), Wayne (Ann), and Michael (Becky); eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; several nephews and a niece. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Martha Hoversten, two brothers, William and David Hoversten, and her husband, Sidney A. Lee, Lt. Col. (Ret).

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 10:30 AM at Zion Lutheran Church of Helotes, Loop 1604 at Braun and Leslie Roads in San Antonio, TX. Memorial services in Minnesota will be held on Monday, April 17, 2006 at 2:00 PM at Shorewood Commons, 2115 2nd St. SW in Rochester and on Thursday, April 20, 2006 at 2:00 PM at North Waseca Church in Waseca, MN. Bernadine and Sidney will be interred at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to prostate cancer research.