Constance M. Berner

.Constance Marie Berner, 94, of Oshkosh, died Tuesday, March 19, 2019, at Ascension Mercy Hospital. Born in Long Prairie, MN, on July 8, 1924, to a Norwegian father, Einar, and a Swedish Mother, Nanna (Anderson) Berg, she was the 5th of 6 children. When she was 9, the family relocated to Seattle, Washington, where she grew up in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood. After graduation from Ballard High School, Connie married Lawrence P. Korsmo; they had 4 children—David, Paul, Susan, and Diane. After her divorce from Lawrence, Connie married Robert “Bob” L. Berner in 1954. They had 3 children—Alan, Deirdre, and John.

Connie was a hard-working, loving, nurturing mother and homemaker while Bob worked various jobs to support the family and go to school, earning his PhD in English. The 1950s were tough for them, but Connie was able to stretch the budget to meet their growing family’s needs. Mom said, “Somehow we managed.”

In 1960, the family moved to Canada for four years. Bob got a teaching position at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. He later had teaching jobs in Frostburg, MD, and Cambridge Springs, PA, before settling in Oshkosh, WI, in 1968, where Bob joined the faculty at UW Oshkosh until his retirement in 1990.

Connie enjoyed life’s simple pleasures: picnics, bike rides, camping, spending time at the family cabin in Washington, road trips, museums, forests and mountains, TV, and books. She was a prolific reader and belonged to two book clubs.

Through the years, Connie was active in the community and loved to learn. She was interested in everything. She generously volunteered her time and was a Girl Scout leader and member of the PTA when the kids were young, Friends of the Library, League of Women Voters, the Paine Art Center (docent/volunteer for 19 years), Sons of Norway, Learning in Retirement, Winnebago County Historical and Archeological Society, and an antique group. She cherished the many lifelong friendships that came from her involvement with these groups.

A charitable woman, Connie donated blood, delivered Meals on Wheels, and supported dozens of organizations with her time, talent and donations. For over 50 years she sponsored Native American children in New Mexico through Save the Children and at St. Labre Indian School in Montana. She was especially helpful to her family. Her local grandchildren were lucky to have received the priceless gift of so much time spent with Connie and Bob. Connie’s daughters don’t know what they would have done without Mom and Dad to help them with their children.

Connie never attended college herself, but being married to Bob—a brilliant and gifted educator—she felt like she’d had an extensive education in literature and history. She attended hundreds of his lectures over the years at Winchester Academy and weeklong seminars each summer at Lawrence University’s Bjorklunden in Door County. They spent a year in Norway where Bob taught at the University of Bergen. They traveled throughout Scandinavia, the UK and western Europe. On many road trips they visited most of the States.

Connie is survived by her brother Donald Berg, Portland, OR; four sons and two daughters—David (Paulette) Korsmo, Willmar, MN; Paul Korsmo (Karen Tsao), Lake Forest Park, WA; Diane (Mehdi) Mohammadian, Oshkosh, WI; Alan Berner, Tulalip, WA; Deirdre Watts, Appleton, WI; John Berner, Oshkosh, WI. She is further survived by ten grandchildren—Matthew Korsmo, Emily (Chris) Dawes, Joanna (Ryan) Prosser, Chris (Cristina) Heath, Mehdi Mohammadian, Jr. (Deborah Hale), Monita (Jim) Gray, M. Ali (Lenore) Mohammadian, Mehran (Katie) Mohammadian, Mark Puestohl (Sara Copic), Nicholas Puestohl—and seventeen great-grandchildren.

Connie was preceded in death by her husband Bob; former husband Lawrence; daughter Susan Korsmo; son-in-law Michael Watts; daughters-in-law BJ Heath Korsmo and Lori Berner; brothers Lloyd Berg and Robert Berg; sisters, Ruth Siminski and Bernice Lewis.

The family thanks the nurses, doctors and staff of Mercy Hospital’s PCU1 and PCU2 and Ascension Hospice for their compassionate and gentle care for Connie during her last days. Thank you to Chaplains Nathan, Mary, and Kelly for their presence and kindness. And a special thank you to Connie’s very dear friend Tina, who took such good care of her during the last several months.

Connie’s memorial service will be held at 3:00 pm, Saturday, April 6, 2019, at Konrad-Behlman Funeral Home-Westside, 100 Lake Pointe Dr., Oshkosh. Visitation from 1:00-3:00 pm. A light meal will be served after the service.

Donations in Connie’s memory may be made to Save the Children, St. Labre Indian School, the Robert L. Berner Memorial Endowment for Bjorklunden, or your favorite charity.