Muriel Berndt

Muriel Berndt, age 97, of Mankato died on Sunday December 31, 2006. Services are 11:00 a.m. Friday, January 5, 2007 at the First Presbyterian Church, Mankato, with Rev. Dawn Carder officiating, with interment at Glenwood Cemetery. Visitation is from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, January 4, 2007 at Mankato Mortuary. Memorials are preferred to the First Presbyterian Church, the Mankato Lutheran Home, the Mankato Symphony Orchestra or ISJ Hospice.

Muriel, daughter of John and Caroline Kuebler was born in Minneapolis MN on July 17, 1909. She grew up in Mankato. At age 9, she began taking violin lessons. Her teacher recognized her musical talent and so Muriel continued her studies in Chicago and New York City. She also took dancing lessons. After several years of study, she returned to Mankato where she and her sister Barbara opened the Kuebler School of Dancing. Muriel and Barbara spent one year traveling and performing throughout the United States and Canada with the Jarvis Revue.

She married Arthur Berndt on September 8, 1939 in Coeur DAlene Idaho. She lived in North Mankato, where she was a homemaker and volunteer in her community, church and daughters school activities.

Muriel enjoyed music, the arts, traveling, summers at the family cottage at Lake Washington, home-made pie at the Dam Store and most of all, spending time with her family.

Muriel Berndt is survived by her daughter Carol High of LeSueur and her daughter and son-in-law Lynette and Norbert Smith of Mankato; six grandchildren: Jonathan High, Daniel High and wife Lydia, Maria Reinhardt and husband David, Jeffrey High, Janelle Smith and Jennifer Kipp and husband Justin; seven great-grandchildren: Anthony, Ethan and Anderson Reinhardt, Noah, Emma and Owen Kipp and Xander High. She is also survived by her sister Barbara, nephew Gary Hofmaster, niece Gail Nelson and A.F.S. daughter Denise Armstrong of Barbados, West Indies. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents and a brother-in-law.