Lydia E. Reinhardt

Lydia Erna Reinhardt, 76 of St. Joseph, passed away Thursday, February 7, 2002 at home. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:00 A.M. Saturday at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Burial will follow in Riverview Cemetery, St. Joseph. Friends may call at the funeral home on Friday from 5-7 P.M. Memorials may be made to Hospice at Home, Stevensville. Mrs. Reinhardt was born on November 7, 1925 in Wilkowischken, Lithuania to Olga & Richard Bernecker. In 1952 she came to America on a United States Armed Forces Ship after WWII accompanied by her brother Helmut. They were sponsored by Anton & Olga Skirpstunas. Lydia worked at Campbell?s Soup Co. and made a home for her brothers until she met and married Erwin Reinhardt on December 26, 1953 in Benton Harbor. They lived in Benton Harbor and became members of St. Matthew?s Lutheran Church. Later they built a home in St. Joseph and moved with their two sons-Peter Erwin and Kirt Bruno Reinhardt. Mrs. Reinhardt was a founding member of the St. Joseph Kicker?s Club and experienced many enjoyable years watching her sons and grandsons play soccer. She helped run the kitchen at the Kicker?s Club until March 2001. Lydia enjoyed cooking and finding ?new recipes?. She had a large garden and many, many houseplants. She has served many families in the twin city area. They will remember her as positive and jolly person. Lydia is survived by her husband Erwin of 49 years; her son Kirt (Deborah) Reinhardt and their sons, Jeremiah, Joshua, Jedediah, Jacob and Jonathan of Eau Claire; daughter in law Gabriella Reinhardt and her children Matthew & Elizabeth of Rhode Island; two brothers Helmut and Erwin (Anneliese) Bernecker of Chicago; a sister Irene Stratman of Germany; sister in law Agathe (Ewald) Lehman of St. Joseph; and a brother in law Bruno Pahl of Benton Harbor. She was preceded in death by her parents who remained in Germany, her son Peter, a brother Edmund, a sister in law Theresa Bernecker and a brother in law Joseph Stratman.