Parkston – Bernadine Thomas, 93, went to her heavenly home Friday, June 19, 2026 at Avera Bormann Manor.  Funeral mass will be Thursday, July 2 at 10:30 am at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Parkston.  Visitation will be Wednesday, July 1 from 5 to 7 pm, with a 7:00 pm prayer service, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Parkston.

Bernadine was born June 9, 1933, to Mathias and Catherine (Hohn) on the family farm northwest of Parkston, SD. She attended country school for a year and 7 years at Sacred Heart Parochial in Parkston. She attended Parkston High School for 2 years and later received her GED from Mitchell VoTech.

She was united in marriage to Ralph Thomas on July 13, 1953, in Parkston. After Ralph’s discharge from the United States Army, the couple moved to his family’s farm, where Bernadine worked side by side with Ralph. She spent 20 years working for the Good Samaritan Society in Parkston as a certified Dietary Manager and laundry supervisor. When the Good Samaritan Center was sold to St. Benedict Hospital, she spent the next 10 years working as their Certified Dietary Manager, retiring on August 1, 1998. They continued to live and work on the farm until their health began to fail, and they moved into an apartment in Parkston.

Bernadine was a member of Post 194 American Legion Auxiliary and a lifelong member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where she was also a member of the Altar Society. She enjoyed fishing, crocheting, genealogy, and playing cards, but most of all, she enjoyed spending time with her family.

Grateful for having shared her life are her 2 sons: Michael Thomas of Yankton, SD and Daryl Thomas of Parkston; 2 grandchildren: Jonathan (Sadie) Thomas of Duvall, WA and Kristin (Levi) Bietz of Tripp, SD; 2 step-grandchildren: Mike (Jean) Renbarger of Chamberlain, SD and Kathy (Troy) Andrews of Iowa City, IA; a step-granddaughter-in-law, Karen Renbarger of Grinnell, IA;  4 great-grandchildren: Tucker and Elaina Thomas and Wyatt and Callan Bietz; 6 step-great-grandchildren: Kyle Renbarger; Emily Renbarger; Abigail (Matt) Moyer; David Renbarger, Elizabeth Renbarger; and Corey Andrews; 4 step-great-great-grandchildren: Aiden Vance, Nolan Andrews, Ramsey Moyer and Piper Herting; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ralph; 2 daughters-in-law, Carol “C.J.” and Teri Thomas; a step-grandson, Steven Renbarger; a great-granddaughter, Claire Bietz in infancy; 3 sisters, Loretta Schulz, Juliana Brech and Isabelle Mayer; 5 brothers, Rudolph, Edmund, Wilfred, Arthur and Melvin; and 2 nieces, Sharon Gruenewald and Mavis Schulz; a nephew, Lynn Mayer.