Bernard J Elsen

Bernard J. Bernie Elsen, 52 of La Crosse, passed away suddenly as the result of a massive heart attack on Sunday, October 14th at the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center. He was born in La Crosse on March 26, 1960 the youngest child of Everette and Martha (Marx) Elsen. A 1978 graduate of Central High School, Bernie worked for many years at Shopko South in La Crosse where he remained until cancer left him unable to work. He lived in the family home where he cared for the needs of his mother until her death and for his brother Joseph who has special needs. The family is grateful for the care provided to Bernie by the medical staffs at both Gundersen Lutheran and the Mayo Clinic Health System Cancer Center.

Bernie will always be remembered for his outgoing personality, his care for his family and friends, and for his love of the Green Bay Packers and the game of baseball. The highlights of his life were when he could take one of his nieces or nephewsor maybe severalto a major league stadium to watch a ball game. He was thrilled to have visited nearly every major league baseball stadium, and was always full of stories about his travels. Bernie was full of stories of all sorts, and loved to visit his siblings and other relatives, where it was common for a deck of cards to appear on the table, and a day would fly swiftly by in his happy company. He was known by the family to be very lucky at games, and he loved an occasional visit to a casinowhere he was also quite lucky. His company will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

Bernie was preceded in death by both of his parents. He is survived by 4 brothers; Marvin (Linda) Elsen of Chaseburg, Joseph Elsen of La Crosse, Roger (Donna) Elsen of West Salem, and Ervin (Patty) Elsen of Sparta. He is also survived by his only sister, Ardella (Kenneth) Hundt of St. Joseph, and many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and other friends and relatives too numerous to mention, but especially including his godchildren, John Hundt and Kelly Gazeley.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, October 18, 2012 at the Schumacher-Kish Funeral Home of La Crosse. Burial will follow in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, La Crosse. Friends may call at the funeral home on Wednesday evening from 5 until 7 P.M where a prayer service will be held at 6:45 P.M. Visitation will also be held at the funeral home on Thursday from 9:30 A.M. until the time of services. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred and will be used in Bernies memory.