Bernard Dean Pease was born on January 8,1938, in Bismarck, North Dakota to parents Lawrence and Alice (Liebel) Pease. He left this world on March 26, 2026, at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Billings, Montana after a brief battle with cancer.

Bernard grew up on the farm with his parents and later joined by one brother, Larry in 1943. Farming and cattle were in Bernard’s blood. He told us he bought his first tractor when he was 16, even before he graduated from Underwood High School in the Class of 1954. After graduating high school, he briefly attended North Dakota Agricultural College in Fargo before returning to Emmet to farm. In addition, he worked in the oil field. He had lots of stories from those days, from harassing waitresses to witnessing an explosion.

Bernard was in 4-H while growing up. A highlight of his career was when their livestock judging team competed at a national competition in Denver, Colorado. He was also proud of the Hereford cattle he showed.

Bernard and Irene Nyberg knew each other over the years and after 7 years of dating, they married on April 21, 1965. To that union, 5 children were born: Kathy, John Henry, Mary Ann, Karla Jean and Karen. Dad grieved for the children they lost, especially his son. He talked about that during a recent hospitalization.

Bernard and Irene started out where he grew up, but he needed wider space so in 1967 they headed out to Richland County Montana. For a few years, they farmed both in North Dakota and Montana, hauling equipment back and forth. Eventually, they had plenty to do here. Irene passed away in 2004, just days after their 39th wedding anniversary.

In addition to buying land, Bernard had other business ventures. He was involved with NFO and he coordinated marketing efforts for beef cattle. He sold fertilizer for U.S. Soil for years. This was an organic fertilizer and during our time in organic farming. Dad was involved with the Organic Crop Improvement Association. His own marketing of his grain grew from bagging wheat in the quonset late at night and loading it by hand into a semi trailer to having his own grain marketing company in Minnesota called New Life Foods. He had lots of fun shipping grain to France.

Bernard began expanding his cow herd running cattle on shares with Karney Redman. Bernard was an early adopter of artificial insemination in beef cattle. That led him to trying a variety of registered cattle. That list included Blonde d’Aquitaine, Limousin, Angus and Salers. The Salers stuck the longest with many production bull sales in Williston, ND, Glasgow, Baker and Miles City. He also loved a good, tall Palamino horse.
Bernard and Irene were able to travel to the Virgin Islands, Cancun and Hawaii. In addition, Dad was an avid hunter, especially elk. He travelled to western Montana yearly to hunt elk.
He enjoyed hosting family and friends to hunt on his land.

After Irene died, Bernard did not want to be alone, so he listened to a friend who told him to attend the “Singles” events with food and dancing. There he met Darlene (Filler) Keller and they were married on April 2, 2005. At the time of his death, they were one week shy of their 21st wedding anniversary. Over the early years of their marriage, they traveled to many places including the Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Alaska and Spain. Dad enjoyed the helicopter ride over a live volcano, Darlene did not. Darlene taught Dad to polka. He was such a good student or she such a good teacher, that footage of them dancing together was featured on the Polka Joe television show.

Bernard is survived by his wife, Darlene Pease, daughters Kathy (Fran) Helmuth and Karen (Robert Sorenson) Pease, grandchildren Levi, John (Elissa) and Sarah Helmuth, Sierra (Taylor Hilyard) Osborne and Hope Sorenson, great grandchild Baker Helmuth, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Bernard was preceded in death by his son, John Henry, two daughters, Mary Ann and Karla Jean, his first wife, Irene, his parents, Lawrence and Alice and his brother, Larry and sister-in-law, Edna.