Juanita M. Bernard

Juanita "Nita" Marion Bernard (Hein) Age 87, passed away peacefully on August 14, 2025, in hospice in Edina, MN. She was born March 26, 1938, in Minneapolis, MN to Arden and Jeanette Hein. Nita grew up in the Prospect Park area of Southeast Minneapolis where she attended Sidney Pratt Elementary and Marshall High School, graduating in 1956. Nita also attended the University of Minnesota. She met Stanley Bernard at the U of M and they were married April 4, 1959. Together, they raised four boys in Mankato, MN and Landfall, MN before settling in the Uptown area of South Minneapolis in 1969. Nita spent over 54 years as the sole caregiver of her in-home nursery school for many, many families. As a young couple, Nita and Stan enjoyed square and ballroom dancing with friends. Together, over their 65-year marriage, they also enjoyed many special vacations antiquing their way to and from the Minocqua, WI area and other adventures in search of history or visiting family. Nita was very involved with her South Minneapolis community in the 1970s and 1980s as a neighborhood organizer and at her boys' schools. She enjoyed books (reading, collecting, and hunting for them for others) and was an active member of the Betsy-Tacy Society for many years. She also enjoyed expressing her creativity through making hand-stamped greeting cards (and always writing thoughtful notes in them). Nita was a kind, upbeat, friendly woman who loved all her "kids" -- her boys, grandkids, great-grandkids, and nursery school kids -- as well as her whole family and so many friends she'd met over the years. She always had a listening ear for anyone who wanted to talk and made friends everywhere she went! Nita was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her sister, Judith Gruber; and two sons, Brian and Mark Bernard. She is survived by two sons, Allan (Waverly, IA) and Jeffrey (Lisa) Bernard (Minneapolis, MN); daughter-in-law, Sarah (Mark) Benesh (Mt. Vernon, IA); grandchildren, McKenna Bernard (Max Grones) (Longmont, CO), Megan (Alex) Cina-Bernard (Minneapolis, MN), Thomas (Sydney) Bernard (St. Paul, MN), Shannon (Leon) Bryant (Bloomington, MN), and Emily Benesh (Mt. Vernon, IA); great-grandchildren, Neveah Bryant, Klaus Cina-Bernard, and Henry Bernard; brother-in-law, Gill Gruber (St. Louis Park, MN); and many other dear relatives and friends. Nita was also eagerly awaiting the arrival of her fourth great-grandchild. A memorial service will be held at Washburn-McReavy Nokomis Park Chapel, 1838 E. Minnehaha Parkway, Minneapolis, MN on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. (with visitation starting at 10:00 a.m. and lunch after the service). In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to N.C. Little Memorial Hospice, Inc. (https://www.littlehospice.org/donate) who took such wonderful care of Nita in her last days.