March 24, 1948 — January 18, 2026
Bernard “Bernie” Blank, 77, of Kanawha, passed away Sunday, January 18, 2026, at Hancock County Memorial Hospital in Britt.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m., Saturday, January 24, 2026, at Cataldo Funeral Home in Britt. Military rites will be conducted by the Kanawha Veterans Cermonial Unit. Burial will be at Oakwood Cemetery in Plymouth, Iowa.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m., Friday at Cataldo Funeral Home and will continue one hour prior to services at the funeral home.
Bernard Alan Blank, the son of Raymond and Ann (Vander Ploeg) Blank, was born on March 24, 1948, in Belmond. He attended Kanawha Community Schools. Bernie served his country in the United States Marine Corps. during Vietnam. Following his honorable discharge, he returned to Iowa and made his home in Plymouth and later Yuba, Wisconsin. Bernie was employed as an over-the-road teamster truck driver until his retirement. On September 8, 2007, he married Shirley Dalberg in Bloom City, Wisconsin. They lived in Wisconsin until 2012, when they moved to the home his father had built and where his childhood home was located in Kanawha. He and Shirley cared for his mother until her passing in 2017. He enjoyed guns, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, coin collecting, supporting numerous charities, reading, and surfing the web. Bernie was very patriotic and proud to have served his country for two tours in Vietnam.
He was a member of the American Legion and VFW as well as a former member of the Patriot Guard.
Bernie is survived by his wife, Shirley of Kanawha; four children, Angie (Steve) Siedlik of Gladstone, MO, Doug, Jr. (Megan) Danahy of Reedsburg, WI, Brad Danahy of Yuba, WI, and Tammy (Randy) Burns of Cazenovia, WI; grandchildren, Lyndy Siedlik and Amy (Jake) Wentz of Gladstone, MO Ellie and Henry Danahy of Reedsburg, WI; great-grandson, Everett Wentz of Gladstone, MO; sister, Janine Harms; nieces, nephews; numerous cousins; and his beloved dog, Suzy.
He was preceded in death by his parents; infant daughter, Carey Blank; brother-in-law, August Harms; and his dog, Geoffrey.
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