Bernard Ackerman

Bernard Ackerman was a man who believed in quality over quantity. He lived his life with a quiet deliberation, slow and steady, with great patience and persistence. You see, Bernard knew better than most that good things come to those who wait, just as they did for him. Bernard was blessed with much in his lifetime, but not as blessed as we were to have known him.

Bernard’s story began on a cool spring day in 1910, in the tiny town of Vestaburg, Michigan, not far from Mount Pleasant. Those were exciting times in this country, which was undergoing a transformation to an industrial society. It was hard to tell that on a little farm in Vestaburg, though, where the Ackerman family found another mouth to feed on April 13, 1910, a baby boy they named Bernard.

Bernard was raised by his grandparents on the family farm, where he learned the meaning and value in a good day’s work. He learned the meaning of hard work, too, spending much of his free time out in the fields, plowing with the horses, or digging up the sugar beets.

Bernard wasn’t all work and no play, of course. He always managed to find time for his favorite outdoor pursuits, hunting and fishing, two lifelong loves for him. He especially was fond of fishing, and could stay out there with his line in the water all day.

But there was always plenty to do around the farm, of course, so much so that Bernard quit school after the eighth grade to help his grandparents out fulltime.

Eventually, though, it was time for Bernard to set out on his own into the world, so for a change of scenery, he moved to Kalamazoo, to live for a time with his aunt, Lua. His hard work, and his patience, soon paid off.

While living in Kalamazoo, Bernard met a wonderful young woman named Wilma Crouch, and the sparks flew between them. They began dating, and nearly a year later, the happy young couple ran off together, eloping in South Bend, Indiana on March 22, 1930. He was just shy of his 20th birthday, but Bernard knew she was the one for him – he wasn’t the type to make hasty decisions!

The newlyweds settled in Kalamazoo for the first few years and then moved to Vicksburg, not far from Wilma’s family. Bernard fit her family like a glove, as well, and was treated like a son by his mother- and father-in-law. For the first time in his life, Bernard felt like he had a traditional family. And soon, he’d have another family of his very own.

Bernard and Wilma were blessed with seven children over the next 23 years, proving that he went for quantity as well as quality sometimes! He was so proud of each of them, Walt, Evelyn, Chuck, John, Mary, Denise and Bonnie, and they filled his life with happiness.

Bernard was a quiet father, who rarely raised his voice or punished the children. They always knew what was expected of them, and where they stood with him.

The family did much together, as well, especially enjoying the Great Outdoors with dear ol’ dad. Family vacations were most often spent at Strawberry Lake, between Reed City and Evart, not far from where Bernard grew up. First they camped with a tent, and later with a trailer, but they always spent plenty of time on the lake together, lines in the water. Bernard taught all the kids how to fish, with the same patience and humor he did everything.

Bernard provided well for his family by working as a printer, first at Lambooy Label, and later at Impact Label. The family had one of the first TVs in Vicksburg, and then later one of the first color TVs, too. After a long week’s work, Bernard loved to sit down and watch some pro wrestling on TV. He loved wrestling, and even went to the matches at the Kalamazoo Armory on occasion. He was a normally patient man, unless someone was standing in his view. “Down in front!” he’d yell.

Bernard loved his job working as a printer, which appealed to his meticulous attention to detail, and he was very thorough. He truly perfected his craft, and because he was a printer, he could also read upside down and backward, too!

His coworkers all loved him, though they teasingly called him “Rip" as in "Rip Van Winkle" because of his slow and deliberate ways, no matter the situation, and joked he was asleep at the press. But a shut eye isn’t always asleep, and it’s the slow and steady horse that wins the race. Bernard would rather do things right the first time, than have to do it twice. Quality, not quantity, remember.

Bernard worked until he was 67, retiring in 1977 to spend more time with Wilma, his kids and grandkids, and more time on the lake, of course. He and Wilma enjoyed taking their trailer up north camping quite a bit, enjoying the beauty of Michigan, but the truth was, he was just as content to tinker in the garage (he could make or fix anything), or head out to Sunset Lake in Vicksburg with his buddies, Evan Shick or later Vernon Noel. They enjoyed Bernard’s sense of humor and quick wit, though they never understood how he always caught the most fish.

Bernard’s beloved Wilma battled cancer in the mid-1980s, and he lovingly cared for her as best as he could. When she sadly died in 1987, he took her loss understandably hard, and it took him a while to get back into his routine, and back on the lake.

Bernard’s health began to decline in his late 80s, and he needed a couple of operations. When he was 88, he moved in with his daughter Bonnie and son-in-law Tom, who cared for him for the last nine years of his life.

Sadly, Bernard died at home in the evening on November 11, 2007, at the age of 97.

Bernard was a wonderful man, who lived a wonderful life, a life of patience, persistence, character and charisma. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend, who believed in quality over quantity. Bernard was blessed with much in his lifetime, but not as blessed as we were to have known him. He will be greatly missed.

Learn more about Bernard, view his Life Story film, and visit with his family and friends Thursday from 5-8 p.m. at the Life Story Funeral Home, RDMG, Vicksburg, 409 S. Main. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at the same location. Surviving members of Bernard’s family include his 6 children: Walt and his wife Culia Ackerman of Vicksburg, Evelyn Charles of Fennville, Chuck and his wife Barbara Ackerman of Vicksburg, John and his wife Sally Ackerman of Henderson NV, Denise and her husband Doug Parker of Vicksburg and Bonnie and her husband Tom Ivens of Vicksburg. Other members of his family include 19 grandchildren, 36 great grandchildren, 8 great great grandchildren and a son-in-law DeWayne Bowen. He follows in death his wife Wilma, a daughter Mary Bowen and a son in law Gus Charles.

Please visit Bernard’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can read his Life Story, share a favorite memory or photo, sign his memory book online or make a memorial donation to the Vicksburg Community Schools Foundation.