Katherine passed away Saturday, January 17, 2004 at St. Luke's Home, Dickinson. Katherine Schmidt was born October 1, 1908, in a house on the south side of Dickinson, North Dakota. She was the first born of Adam Schmidt and Otillia Loran Schmidt. Otillia died four months later. Katherine was raised on a farm, north of Dickinson by her father and stepmother, Eva Leingang Schmidt. As the oldest child of nine (stepbrother, Joseph Kuhn, half-sisters, Lillian (John) Klein and Mary (Butch) Bullinger; and half-brothers, Casper (Barbara), Blanche, Michael, Anton (Betty), (Caroline), Peter (Katie), and Louie (Mary) Schmidt, Katherine was needed to help in the home at a very young age. Katherine later married Sebastian Bernhardt on November 20, 1928 at Hirschville, North Dakota. Sebastian and Katherine bought a farm five miles north of Taylor, North Dakota where they raised their eight children. In 1966, Sebastian and Katherine retired from farming and moved to Dickinson, North Dakota. In 1982, they moved to Lake Havasu City, Arizona. In spring of 1990, they moved to a retirement community in St. Cloud, Minnesota. In 1996, they moved to Glen Ullin, North Dakota, where Sebastian died in 1999. Katherine then moved to St. Luke’s Nursing Home, Dickinson, North Dakota until her death. Katherine was a very hard worker and an excellent cook. She always had a large, fruitful vegetable garden with as many beautiful flowers as possible. She created her own patterns and sewed most of her children’s clothes. She also did remarkable crochet and embroidery work, creating countless doilies, table clothes, afghans, pillow cases, etc. She always tried to make everything, and everyone, look “niceâ€, paying close attention to details. She very much enjoyed entertaining (serving dinners-having people over), going to town, visiting relatives and friends, playing cards, and going to old time music dances. She loved traveling and never grew tired of riding in the car. Her religion was very important to her and was devoted to the Rosary. Her favorite saints were Saint Anthony and Saint Theresa. She loved her family, flowers, colors and music. Katherine touched the lives of all she met, leaving her effect on everyone who knew her. Katherine is preceded in death by her husband, Sebastian Bernhardt, a step-brother, Joe Kuhn, two half-brothers, Casper and Mike Schmidt, a half-sister, Lillian (John) Klein and a daughter-in-law, Karen Bernhardt. She is survived by eight children; Betty (Vince) Campo, Lafayette, LA, Leonard (Georgene) Bernhardt, Beaverton, OR, Marie Thorell, San Francisco, CA, James Bernhardt, Dickinson, ND, Cathleen Bernhardt, Milwaukee, OR, Marge (Gene) Focht, Hebron, ND, Ann (Ray) Maresh, Saint Cloud, MN, and Linda Kjerstad, Dickinson, ND; 27 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Arlene Bernhardt; half-sister-in-law, Blanche Schmidt; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Leo (Ann) Bernhardt.