Sister Bertilla Brungardt, 86, died Aug. 28, in the Dominican Sisters’ convent infirmary, Great Bend. Born Dec. 17, 1927, in Liebenthal as Germana Brungardt, Sister Bertilla was the daughter of the late Adam Joseph and Josephine Heili Brungardt. She was raised by her father and stepmother, Emma Wasinger Quint Brungardt. She entered the Dominican Sisters’ Community on Sept. 10, 1944, and pronounced her first vows on Aug. 13, 1947. She celebrated 65 years of religious profession in 2012.
Sister Bertilla gave much of her ministerial life to domestic work in the sisters’ missions, and in the convent kitchen and sewing room. She also worked in a bishop’s residence, in a house of prayer, and in the Dominican House of Studies in Rome, Italy. She has cooked for a school and an adult day care center. She gave nearly 15 years in pastoral care duties at St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City. At the time of her death, she was volunteering in hospitality at St. Rose Ambulatory and Surgery Center, Great Bend, in worship preparation in the Sisters’ Dominican Chapel of the Plains, and was known for her creative decorations for the convent dining room tables.
Sister Bertilla is survived by her Dominican Sisters of Peace religious community; two brothers and one sister, Thomas (Betty) Brungardt, Raymond Quint, and Shirley Ann (Francis) Richmeier, all of Garden City; and two sisters-in law, Cecilia Quint and Sharon Schinstock.
Sister Bertilla’s body will be brought to the hospitality area of the Dominican Chapel of the Plains, 3600 Broadway, Great Bend, at 4 p.m. on Sunday, where it will lie in state until the Liturgy of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, with the Rev. Pascal Klein presiding. Burial will be in the Sisters’ Resurrection Cemetery. A wake service will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday. Both the wake and the funeral will be held at the convent. Friends may call at the convent 9 a.m. until the time of the Wake on Monday, and Tuesday morning, until the time of the funeral Mass. Memorials in honor of Sister Bertilla Brungardt may be sent to Dominican Sisters of Peace, 2320 Airport Dr, Columbus OH  43219-2098 or given securely on line at www.oppeace.org.

Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home*
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
Great Bend (Kan) Tribune, Aug. 31, 2014