Bernard Reese, 75, died Thursday, November 21, 2002 at Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Fargo, ND.

Funeral service will be 2:00 PM, Sunday, November 24, 2002 at the Johnson Green Funeral Home, Thief River Falls, MN, with Father Tim McGee officiating.

Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the Funeral Home on Sunday.

Bernard Ben Edward Reese was born April 18, 1927, in Badger, MN, the son of William and Mary (Foster) Reese. He was baptized on April 18, 1927 at St. Marys Church, Badger, MN and attended school in Badger. The family moved to Thief River Falls, MN and Ben was confirmed at St. Bernards Catholic Church in 1943. Ben enlisted in the U. S. Navy, where he served as Seaman 2nd Class. He received his honorable discharge in Minneapolis, MN on June 5, 1946.

On October 5, 1963, Ben was united in marriage to Alice Viola Hall, at Hines, MN. The couple lived at Warren, Hendrum, Little Fork and Big Falls, MN. Ben worked for ALCAN Highway Construction in Alaska in the early 1940s, owned and operated the Main Street Caf in Warren, MN in the 1960s, worked for Fillipi Trucking in Warren and later drove truck until retirement.

Ben held a lifetime membership in the VFW in Little Fork, MN, and membership in the American Legion in Warren, MN. He enjoyed trucks, horses, playing cards and most especially spending time with family.

Survivors include the mother of his two children, Joyce Nyland Reese; children, Diane Baune and Dennis Reese, all Thief River Falls, MN; 3 grandchildren, Paul Helgeland, Chad (Jana) Helgeland, all Roseau, MN and Kelley (fianc, Ryan Iverson) Baune, Thief River Falls, MN; 6 great grandchildren, Chris and Elizabeth Appicelli, Alicia and P.J. Helgeland , all Bemidji, MN, Grant Helgeland, Roseau, MN and Jayden Iverson, Thief River Falls, MN; 5 brothers, Ambrose Nick (Janet), St. Hilaire, MN, Charles (Donna), Devils Lake, MN, Ronald Cookie (Pat), Aurora, CO, James (MaryJo), Anchorage, AK and Matthew (Cheryl), Mentor, MN, and many nieces and nephews.

Preceded in death by wife Alice, on September 5, 1994; grandson, Keith Baune on August 25, 2001; parents, William and Mary Reese; grandparents, Nicolas Reese and Christine Bennig Reese, Edward Foster and Elizabeth George Foster; sister and brother-in-law, Rose Reese Needham and Ed Needham.