Bernice Evelyn (Bakke) Grande was born on June 7, 1920, at Brookings County, SD, on the Bakke family farm to Elmer and Clara (Johnson) Bakke. She died Monday, April 4, 2011, at the White Healthcare Center. Bernice was baptized on July 11, 1920, at Leganger Lutheran Church in Toronto, SD. On July 7, 1935 she was confirmed at Leganger Lutheran Church. Bernice attended Oak Lake #59 country school, graduating from eighth grade. She grew up near Astoria, SD and in 1935 they moved to Northern Minnesota for a new home and new adventure as a family. Many good friends were made while in Northern Minnesota and Bernice also met her husband, Norman Grande. Prior to her marriage she was employed in the laundry at Lake Julia Tuberculosis Sanitarium at Puposky, MN, at laundries in Sioux Falls, SD and John Morrell in Sioux Falls, SD. On Feb. 2, 1946 she married Norman Grande at First Lutheran parsonage in Brookings, SD. They resided at Denver, CO; Astoria, SD; moving to White, SD in the fall of 1951. Bernice was a member of Zion Lutheran Church and for many years sent cards and greetings on behalf of the congregation to members. This, along with her hobby of letter writing to family and friends fit well together. She enjoyed embroidering, family genealogy, and being with family. Grateful for having shared her life are her daughter, Kathy (Loren) McKinney and son, Paul Grande, both of White, SD; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren; son-in-law, Jim Madsen, of Watertown, SD; one sister, Violet (Merle) Bushman of Baltic, SD; two brothers, Elwood (Delphine) Bakke of Hendricks, MN and Clayton (Marian) Bakke of Des Moines, IA. She was preceded in death by her husband, Norman in 1975; daughter, Barbara Madsen (2008), and her parents.