Dostall, Bernice
Dostall, Brunhilde (Bernice / Berni) nee Lorfing
May 18, 1943- July 26, 2025Bernice (Bruni) passed away peacefully on “Saturday July 26, 2025” at “WREN@Chicopee Hospital” at the age of “82 years old” in her sleep surrounded by her loving family and she was their entire world, the center that kept the family glued together. After suffering from lengthy iIlness over the past 4 years, we are very heartbroken and her absence has left a big void in our hearts. We were with her every step of the way, to the very end. in the We’d like to thank the “Palliative Care Unit” for all the attention they provided to Bruni.
Bernice was born on “May 18th 1943” in "Germany” to Adam Lorfing and Pauline Lorfing (nee Ohly). She came to Canada with her Parents along with her 3 Older Siblings in "January 1949" at the age of 5 years old and they grew up in Kitchener, ON. Bernice attended “Margaret Avenue School “ and then they moved to Baden, ON where she attended “Waterloo Oxford High School” and then off to “College.”
Bernice began working at an “Insurance Company” on Erb Street, Waterloo, ON. She worked at many other insurance companies. After her second Son turned 5 years old, she was a devoted and loving stay at home wife and mother. Bernice still resided in Baden, ON where her first Husband Hans Ulrich Dostall built their family dream home out in the Country. They married in December 1965, and later they added two handsome sons. They were everything to her and she would do anything to see her boys happy and successful in whatever areas they wanted to follow in life. She would drive them to their recreational activities and cheer them on, as youngsters on to young men. Bernice was very blessed, to have raised a happy little family of 4. They spoked “English and German” in the home and then they moved back to Kitchener, ON few years later with their family. Bernice was a caregiver, very dedicated to helping others and volunteering at Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church where she was a long time Member of the Church” including her parents who had founded and attended there for many years. Bernice provided much love and care to her parents, who lived with her & her family for many years and then they bought a whole Semi House together and lived right next door to one another in Kitchener. Bernice also caried for her parents in their senior yeas due to their deteriorating health. Sadly, her first Husband “Hans Ulrich Dostall” passed away in “May 2005” with his own health battles. Over their years together, she also provided love and personal care for him to the end.
Eventually Bernice found love again and married her second newfound love “John Frederick Vetter” in “September 2012” whom she had known since she was a child. Bernice and John enjoyed many happy years together, making many happy memories. John‘s declining health required him to move into a “Senior Retirement Residence” in “2022“. Bernice would often visit him as much as she could until her health eventually deteriorated over the years and the family would bring her to see John when she had a good day or they would bring John to visit her on special occasions. Before their health deteriorated they shared so many things together as “Husband & Wife” and they had the best life together and were very deeply in love with their own love story of their own and “John” made sure his wife “Bernice” was well taken care of and helped her with anything she needed or wanted and loved to seeing and making her happy as “Bernice” would do the exact same to her husband “John” as they were inseparable. Bernice was a remarkable woman who was caring, nurturing thoughtful, generous, loving, kind hearted. A dedicated person who loved to help others and would go out of her way to help them and put others first before herself above her own needs. She gave from her full heart and showered her family, friends and her Church with that love. Bernice never expected anything in returned from anyone. She was never a selfish person. Bernice enjoyed travelling with both of her husbands.
She enjoyed reading, doing crosswords and search words, watching many of her favourite programs, listening to some of her favourite German music. She also enjoyed having one of her little great grandsons sing a couple of her favourites in “German “ with the help of his Papa-Ope Dostall. and then her little great granddaughter singing “Lean On Me” for the past month (June 2025 -July 2025) to the end. We are so glad we have these memories saved by recording it on cell phone . Bernice sung in the “Church Choir” along with her devoted beloved husband John, who would do anything for her and they were so very much involved with their Church, volunteering. They enjoyed dancing, going to concerts, Theatres/Orchestra at the “Centre In The Square” in Kitchener, ON and going to the “Stratford Festival Events” in Stratford, ON together as the list goes on continuously. Bernice was a very dedicate, uplifting, compassionated and understanding woman who loved and enjoyed spending time with her very large extended family and friends from Church and where her Husband John was staying at this time now to also meeting up with her two older Sisters and friends every Wednesday morning for Coffee Breaks at McDonalds while taking her small Grandchildren for it as well while babysitting when they were little back in the day and loved to go shopping for all of her family and for herself to doing things with all of her Grandchildren & Great Grandchildren on the side and going out of her way and beyond anyway she could help them out or their Parents and to her other families and friends by any means, such as..... Bernice would be there to pick them up or take them somewhere to dropping them off or just meet up when there was a school event/concert or any kind of recreational events or medical appointments and most of the time could count on her helping and going to places with the family. Bernice really enjoyed collecting all kinds of “Porcelain Dolls” over the years in a separate room on a display at her home and loved to collect “Angels & Fairies” as well as they made her feel safe along with soothing comfort and she loved to share and talk about each one of them to all of her close loved ones and friends that took the same great interest as she did in them all.
Bernice enjoyed all the “Family Traditions” like “Oktoberfesting” on “Family Day” in "October" at many places including the “Concordia Club”, “Queensmount Arena” and the “Schwaben Club” over the years. She also enjoyed watching and going to the “Santa Claus" & "Oktoberfest Parades” and feeding the Ducks and having picnics at “Victoria & Waterloo Park”with her loved ones along with all the other annual yearly seasonal celebrations/special holidays. Bernice enjoyed taking walks with others, gardening and taking care of her flowerbeds along with other yardwork and watching the beautiful birds out of her front living room window at the bird feeder she had out for them. She enjoyed and loved to cook big homemade meals and to bake for her families their favourite traditional “German” meals. Cooking for her families made her happy and was her happy place in the kitchen and was a pleasure and a delight and she enjoyed having family in for Dinner to making happy fond memories to cherish and treasure on Sundays or any day of the week was a big hit. As nothing pleased her more than having a good meal with a full belly and having a good conversation with her loved ones and always sending home extra goodies along to her children, all of her grandchildren &and great grandchildren. She loved the company as she didn’t like to be alone. The family brought in PSW’s 3 -4 times a day/7 days a week into her home to the end for 4 years approximately until she was last “Hospitalized “ on June 27th 2025 at WRHN@Midtown Hospital’ along with the help of all her loved ones as her family to care for her and for all her special needs and taking her to all her special appointments & arranging them and doing her errands and the list goes beyond!!! Bernice’s, sons & daughter in laws & grandchildren & great grandchildren were all very important and special to her. She played a very significant important role in everyone’s lives as a very close nit family unit together as she was very proud of them all and loved to share and expressed her love of her family to others.
Bernice was predeceased by her parents Adam Lorfing (May 1992) and Pauline Lorfing (1993),1st husband Hans Dostall (May 2005) brother Richard Lorfing (Dec 2010) nephew Rick Lorfing (Dec 2023). brother in laws Art Balabazuk (June 2005) Grant Rueffer (Sept 2024) sister in law Anne E. Jung (Oct 2023) Bernice is leaving behind so many loved ones who she loved, adored more than ever and she was the best Mother & friend to her two Sons, a best Mother In Law & best friend and as a best Mom to her two Daughter In Laws and the best Wife & friend and best Oma you could ever have asked for. She was full of life and love and had a heart of gold.
Bernice will be greatly dearly be deeply missed by her surviving loving devoted caring Husband “John Vetter” so very much who always called her his “Mein Schatz”, which means “My Sweetheart” in “German “up to their last day being together before her passing as stated earlier. Bernice will also be fondly be remembered along with her proud loving Sons Michael, Daughter In Law (Connie) and James , Daughter In Law (Sandra), Daughter In Law (Jacy Côté) who she loved them like Daughters as her very own who she was very closed to each one of them and all shared a very closed bond to one another she also had two Step Children Tim Vetter and Julie Walker (Steve). Bernice was very proud of “ALL” of her 13 beautiful loving devoted Grandchildren and “ALL” of her 24 beautiful loving devoted Great Grandchildren so far and she was also going to be a “Great Great Oma” for the very 1st time to her “1st Great Great Grandchild” in April 2026 that’s on the way the next coming months but sadly she passed away before the news was shared to her. Since then ... Bernice would have had her first great great granddaughter who was born on April 04th 2026. ALL the grandchildren adored and loved their grandmother so vey much and she was so special and so perfect to them all and they called her “Oma” (“Oma Your So Purrrfect”) They would tell her all the time and who she loved to teach and play "Crokinole" and doing puzzles, Lego, baking cookies and colouring Easter Eggs and watching her favourite movies with her Grandchildren along with many other activities. Bernice also leaves behind her lovely, beautiful two older Sisters “Gertrude Balabazuk” "Julie Rueffer" who they spoked on a daily basis on the phone together and visited one another when they could as her Sisters didn’t drive so Bernice’s Niece “Diane” would bring them over or a friend of Julie’s named “Linda” to bringing “Julie” to the house or to the Hospital very often to the end as well and she is very much recognized and appreciated by all the families and to her Sister In Laws (Eleanor Lorfing), (Lore Tilley) coming by to visit her always as they were very close to one another and they “ALL” shared a special close bond with one another with “ALL” these remarkable lovely beautiful special Ladies names all mentioned above as well as many other Sister In Laws & Brother Laws that she also was very closed too. Also, to several Nieces and Nephews were also left behind her and to her only “God Daughter/Niece” Deb Southcote. Many very special thanks to the wonderful caring compassionate exceptional loving “Nurses & Staff” and to “Dr Kim “ in the “Palliative Care Unit” at “WREN@Chicopee Hospital” to making his/their Patient “Bernice” as comfortable as he/they possibly could up to her final last days to the very last day putting her needs first for her care and always keeping the family updated on her well-being on a daily basis and so very thrual to us in details and being honest but yet so gentle to us all and caring for the families feelings and such as the words goes greatly beyond to the end of her very last day. Also, to the “WREN@Midtown Hospital” including “WREN@Chicopee Hospital” who felt like family and treated her and us like family with all the beautiful words they shared to the family before, during, after her passing in such a short difficult sad time within the month and unexpected outcome we were told in the Hospital back end of June 2025 up to July 2025 about her condition coming to an end.This also includes Bernice’s “Regular Family Doctor” (Dr John Stewart) and to his “Office Staff “of all the things they did for her over several years caring for her needs and having someone come in from “Life Labs” for blood work and urine samples to her home as words goes far beyond. As well, to all the “PSW’s” and to the other several “Agencies” to all the “Coordinators” in this last 4 or more years of all you have done for Bernice as well as this has been very much been very helpful and very much appreciated what all you have done and the absolute effort and dedication you have done for her and for her family and to all the “Specialists” she saw over the years and with many tests being done over the years. PASTOR SCHMIDT & HIS WIFE - A Very Big Thank You—- For your big part as well , coming to see & visit Bernice in the “Hospitals and Phone Calls” with all your “Prayers” & came to both “Hospitals” as we celebrated having “Bernice & John” both “Holy Communion” together as “Husband & Wife” for their very last time together being “Communion” together on July 13th 2025 with cake, refreshments and balloons and for Nellie (Choir Director) and yourself sung your hearts out to 5 beautiful songs with several Prayers with “Bernice & John” and some family joining in to celebrate their last time to be “Communion” together. A beautiful day and memory to be remembered by us all for sure and we celebrated her very last 82nd Birthday with her Husband John and some family at his “Residence” back in May 2025. Unfortunately, the family arranged for the Pastor to come by with family along her bedside that morning before her passing but she passed away middle of the night in the early hours of the morning of her passing with family by her side.
Bernice will be very sadly be missed and loved forever & always & never be forgotten by all who loved her so very much and all the beautiful happy fond memories will be lived on by all who loved her and be kept close to their hearts always and forever to be treasured and cherished.“GOD BLESS”” We all very much appreciated everyone who knew and cared and took their time for Bernice and took time in their busy schedule time to visit her at home and in the Hospitals over the recent years since battling her many health illnesses she endured to the end along with phone calls and any other way of reaching out to us families by any kind of means of communication and supporting Bernice & for her family and being there for us all for better for worse at this very difficult time we were facing of our great special loved one!!! Thank you for all your continuous prayers , support and help along these past difficult 4 weeks of (June 27th 2925 to July 26th 2025) and the past 4 long years with Bernice as you all won’t be forgotten what everyone has done for her and for us family. It sure won’t be the same without Bernice (Bruni) to keeping the “Dostall Family” connected as one big happy close family and us missing her visits with her and phone calls and her famous home cooked meals & baking that she so much enjoyed to cook for everyone and everything else about her will be deeply be missed as well, big time. We lost a beautiful, remarkable, full of wisdom, intelligent, inspiring , amazing, wonderful, generous, kind, caring, affectionate, loving, fabulous, unique very special lady to inside and out who is now our beautiful “Soul Guardian Angel Above” who left us all far too soon but she left us with a huge impact of love and cherished beautiful memories and devotion in our hearts and we trusted her. Bernice will always be with each one of us and be held close to our hearts always and forever be with us who she can’t be replaced like no other and she will never be forgotten by us all. The many beautiful fond memories will live on inside of us all to hold on too like no other and us sharing this beautiful “Very Long Obituary” about Bernice as the kind of person she was to us all as her family and friends is to keeping some of the sweet precious memories we all shared here alive with us all to treasure and cherish as her family to look back on and too many more not shared on here in our hearts and mind. Bernice will still continue to watch over all her loved ones as “Our Beloved Sweet Beautiful Guardian Angel” to taking care of us all in her own kind of way up in Heaven watching over us!! You are so deeply very missed so very much everyday since you passed and our hearts ache but knowing you are not in pain or suffering anymore is a relief to us all and knowing you went peacefully in your sleep by family by your side is what matters at the end. As a family we will get through this very hard difficult time together and grieve one day at a time in our own kind of way and to heal hopefully over time but our hearts will still ache deeply for our loss of our dear Mom & Oma but we know we have to continue on living our lives like she would want us too and to move on with our everyday daily life and for us to be happy and to continue on with our own families now making memories with them. Bernice’s presence will forever echo in our lives and her spirit will always guide us through and shine through us. Though we are mourning her loss very deeply and we are so very sad but we also want to celebrate the full life she lived and loved and the full attention she gave to us all with that beautiful smile and laughter she had with full of happiness and joy she brought into all of our lives.
Bernice’s family was her whole life and she loved her family more than anything so very much.
NO MORE PAIN & NO SUFFERING
PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY IN HER SLEEP
REST IN PEACE MOMMA BEAR & OMA
WE LOVE YOU & MISS YOU ALWAYS & FOREVER MOM & OMACremation has taken place and a Celebration Of Life will be held at a later date by the family & possibility a “Church Service” as well with some Family as “Bernice & John” belonged to the “Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church” as a devoted member for a life time of many years . As expressions of sympathy donations would be greatly be appreciated by the family that can be given and through what ever website ….. Of Ones Choice Of Donation Can Be Made To:
1) Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church
2) Parkinson’s Disease
3) Heart & Stroke
4) Brain Tumours (Neurologists )
5) Diabetes
TAKE NOTE: Late Posting
This Obituary was being worked on by Bernice's Daughter In Law Connie and unfortunately due to many unfortunate on going challenge circumstances on with many other family health crisis it was not completed or posted until now for those reasons beyond out of our control at the time to this day and we still are unfortunately. Been a very rough difficult few years into 2025 and again 2026 for our families.
But would like to say since Bernice's passing on July 26th 2025 she lost her Second Husband John Fredrick Vetter in his 97th year unexpectedly on September 11th 2025 and was her Sons Step Father and her Step Son & Step Daughter's Father & Our Father In Law & Opi & Great Opi & Great Great Opi to all the Grandchildren. Then, Bernice's Oldest Son Michael had a few big massive strokes that left him paralyzed on the left side and other health stuff as well on Sept 02nd 2025 at work & 12 hours later a massive stroke while in the Hospital in ICU & found out he had silent strokes as well through tests prior to these ones unaware but is walking with & without walker . Etc
Long Story ....but will leave it like that.
I know this is so extremely so very long but this is to keep her memory alive and her feeling close by to us all to come to read this all when we want too! Thank you for your patience, time understanding and appreciation but sharing and doing this in our own kind of way as a family as part of our grieving and to heal over time one day at a time for all of our families and friends that knew Bernice and her Husbands Hans & John. MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL & STAY SAFE & HEALTHY.
