BERNARD "BERNIE K" KROMMENDYK, 88, was received by the Lord on Easter morning, April 12, 2009 with his wife of 65 years, his children and his grandchildren at his bedside as he made the journey.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, April 16th, at 10:30 a.m. at the Memorial Presbyterian Church in Cherokee, Iowa. Rev. Ethan D. Sayler will officiate. Burial and military rites will be at 2 p.m. on Thursday at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery at Ireton, Iowa. There will be a family prayer service at 10:15 a.m. at the Church on Thursday. Visitation will from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Wednesday at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee with the family present from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. On line condolences may be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com

Bernie was born October 31, 1920 at Hull, Iowa to Henry and Della (Bouma) Krommendyk. He graduated from Ireton High School in 1939. Bernie served in the 101st Airborne from 1942 until 1945. He parachuted into Normandy on D-Day, was captured a few days later and spent 11 months as a Prisoner of War. He was married to Ann Margaret Leusink on August 17, 1943 at Grand Rapids, Michigan. The couple lived in LeMars for over 40 years, following retirement moved to Lost Island Lake near Ruthven. The last four years he resided in Cherokee. He was a restaurant equipment salesman for McCormack Distributing in LeMars, Iowa for over 40 years, retiring in 1991. He was a member of the Memorial Presbyterian Church and a member of Wasmer American Legion Post at LeMars, Iowa. He had been active in the work of POWs on a local, state and national level. He enjoyed taking his family fishing and the last few years of his life were spent writing his memoirs and watching his grandchildren's activities. Bernie loved the Chicago Cubs, time spent playing cards with his children and being in parades representing the POWs of Northwest Iowa.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother Delmar Krommendyk, two brothers-in-law Pete Dykstra and Gary Leusink; two sisters-in-law Alice Leusink and Frances Leusink.

He is survived by his wife Ann and five children: James Krommendyk of Great Falls, Montana; Mary House and her fiancé Gerald Boatman of Cherokee, Iowa; Dale (Robin) Krommendyk of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Jayne (Randy) Martin of Rockwell City, Iowa; Leanne (Troy) Valentine of Cherokee, Iowa; 8 grandchildren: Matthew House; Karah & Olivia Thompson, Spencer Krommendyk; Justin & Ryan Martin; Alanna & Trey Valentine; his brothers and sisters: Margaret (Simon) Disselkoen of Zealand, Michigan; Leonard (Lorraine) Krommendyk of Orange City, Iowa; Henrietta (John) Blacquire of Holland, Michigan; Joanne (Dick) Hoogland of Sioux Center, Iowa; Preston (Carol) Krommendyk of Fremont, Michigan; a sister-in-law Sylvia Krommendyk of Worthington, Minnesota and many nieces and nephews.