Bernardine, oldest daughter of Alvin and Emma (Fetterer) Rinderer, was born February 20, 1914 in Highland, Illinois, diocese of Springfield. She was from a family of five boys and four girls. Sister Bernardine entered the Congregation December 8, 1938, the day of our Golden Jubilee as a Religious Congregation. She was 24 years old, having remained at home to help her mother with shopping, cooking, sewing and caring for the younger children. She began the novitiate August 12, 1939, receiving as her religious name, Sister Pancratius. She later returned to her baptismal name. On August 13, 1940, she made her First Vows and on August 13, 1946 her Final Vows, both in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Before Sister Bernardine entered the convent, she took a business course. Soon after profession, she was called on to use her gift for typing and business matters at St. Mary’s Hospital, Columbus, Wisconsin. While serving there from 1941-1947, she attended Wausau Vocational School for more business courses. In August, 1947, Sister did further study in the area of business at St. Louis University.

In 1947, Sister Bernardine’s skills were needed at St. Joseph’s Hospital, West Bend, Wisconsin. She served as treasurer and accountant. In 1956, Sister Bernardine went to Divine Savior Hospital, Portage Wisconsin. As accountant and bookkeeper, she also took care of all purchasing for the hospital. She continued to serve there for thirteen years and, in her own words, "I enjoyed wrapping gifts at Christmas time and decorating the chapel and refectory for the Jubilees of the Sisters and other feast days."

Sister Bernardine’s final ministry in the business field was at Divine Savior High School and Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, Milwaukee, from 1969 until her retirement in 1990. From 1982 to 1990, she was invited to live with the novices in the Emmaus Community. "I considered it a privilege to live with the novices and those were really some of the happiest times for me," said Sister Bernardine in her oral history.

Even in her "retirement", she continued to use her bookkeeping abilities by helping Sister Karlyn Cauley, full-time artist, and baking cookies and other desserts for Sister Karlyn’s art shows and teas. Sister Bernardine was often consulted for her cooking skills. One Sister recalls how Sister Bernardine would give her advice for cooking by prefacing her remarks with, "I don’t want to be bossy or tell you what to do, BUT…" She did this, however, with a twinkle in her eye and a kind smile.

Highlights for Sister Bernardine were her two trips to Europe, one with her brother, Brother Marion, SDS, and another in 1997 to Rome, Vienna and Meran.

In 2003, Sister Bernardine moved to Salvatorian Sisters Residence, where she continued deepening her spiritual life by listening to tapes because her poor eyesight kept her from reading. She was grateful for the care she received. Sister Bernardine was a prayerful person, had a dry sense of humor and was always willing to be of help in the community.

In late June, 2007, Sister Bernardine was hospitalized for abdominal problems. When she declined the option of surgery for a bowel obstruction and also suffered congestive heart failure, she was transferred to the skilled care facility of St. Anne’s Salvatorian Campus, where she received palliative care. On Sunday, July 1, the Sisters began to keep vigil at her bedside, praying with and for her until the evening of July 2, 2007, when she peacefully entered eternal life at the age of 93. She was professed for 66 years.

Sister Bernardine is survived by her brothers Francis (Virginia), Gerald (Betty), a sister, Josephine Higginbotham, and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her brothers: Cletus, Anthony and Brother Marion, SDS and sisters: Mary Ann Braun and Laura Sexton.