Bernita Mae (Muenscher) Zuidmeer was born in Bellingham on May 7, 1923, to Fritz and Neldia (Hallman) Muenscher. She passed away on Oct. 5, 2019, at the age of 96.
Bernita was “Bunny” to everyone she met. She grew up on the family farm on Central Road and became a superlative cook and baker. She attended Ten Mile School, Lynden High School and Washington State University, majoring in home economics.
She married her high school sweetheart, Peter Zuidmeer, on June 8, 1946. Daughter Jane was born in 1947. They lived in Bellingham until 1950, when they bought a dairy farm near Ten Mile. Bunny taught at Meridian High School until son Bill was born in 1959. The family moved to Montana and in 1966 she taught at Hellgate High School in Missoula, retiring in 1984. The Zuidmeers then moved back to Washington to the farm where she grew up. They enjoyed traveling to Pete’s Navy reunions across the United States. Bunny was active in her church, St. John’s Lutheran of Bellingham.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 72 years, Peter; granddaughters Catherine Christianson and Chelsea Zuidmeer; brother Fred; five sisters-in-law and four brothers-in-law; and two nieces.
She is survived by her daughter Jane (Verne) Christianson; son Bill (Denise) Zuidmeer; sisters Isabel Covalt (Vail Palmer) and Elinor (Lonnie) Montgomery; grandchildren Jennifer Christianson, Samantha Seholm and Peter Zuidmeer; four great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Her burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, in Ten Mile Cemetery, 6268 Medcalf Rd. south of Lynden, followed by a memorial service at 1 p.m. in St. John’s Lutheran Church, 2530 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham.
Memorials may be made in Bunny’s name to the Muenscher Scholarship Fund, in care of St. John’s Lutheran Church.
Arrangements are entrusted to Jerns Funeral Chapel of Bellingham.
