Bernie Granite, 95, of St. Louis Park, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Sunday, April 1, 2012, at the Heather’s Manor Care Suite in Crystal. Funeral services were held at Glen Haven Chapel in Crystal on Thursday, April 5, with an interment at Glen Haven Memorial Gardens.
Bernie is survived by his son Steven (Roxanne) Granite of Annandale and his daughter Heidi (Robert Jr.) Wadsten of Golden Valley. "Gramps" is also survived by grandchildren; Dennis Granite, Vicky (Jon Jullie) Granite, Rya Granite, Robert (Kelly) Wadsten III, Carrie (Mark) Wellner, Amy (Elijah Robinson) Wadsten, five great-grandchildren and their spouses, and four great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Audrey, his granddaughter-in-law, Char Granite, and an infant great-grandchild.
Bernard Helmer Granite was born on May 13, 1916, to Emma (Johnson) and Gustav Granite in Minneapolis. He grew up in south Minneapolis and spent summers in Cokato at his uncle’s farm and on Lake Sylvia, where his family bought land in 1924 and built a cabin in 1926. He met his sweetheart, Audrey Edlund, at a dance in 1938. The two were married in Duluth in May of 1942. Bernie moved his family to St. Louis Park in 1949, where he built one of the first homes in his neighborhood. Bernie started his career as a precision pattern maker at Minneapolis Moline in 1934, where he was an apprentice. During World War II he worked at CW Olson making patterns for Northern Pump Five Inch Naval Gun Mounts.
His last working years were spent making patterns for the aerospace industry for the Watkins Pattern Division Hitchcock Industries. He was considered by his peers to be one of the most skilled pattern makers in the midwest. His life revolved around church, family, woodworking, storytelling and spending time at the cabin. Bernie was a member of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park since 1949. He used his talents in pattern making and woodworking to construct many functional items, such as the communion rail, that are still in use at the church today. He had dinner with his family nearly every night of the week, splitting his time between the Twin Cities and the cabin he built on Lake Sylvia.
Bernie spent eighty-five years at the cabin, driving himself back and forth every week well into his ninety-third year. He told wonderful stories about his family and his life over all of those years and he made many cherished friendships. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and neighbors.