Bernadette Rose (Dietrich) Dezanett

Bernadette Rose (Dietrich) Dezanett, 65, of Oak Harbor, Ohio left this world on November 30, 2016.  A long struggle with cancer deprived the world of her kindness, forgiveness and caring nature. Bernadette was the loving mother of nine children and 11 grandchildren.

Bernadette “Birdie” was born April 21, 1951 in Toledo, Ohio to Eugene and Veronica (Weis) Dietrich. She was the first of their seven children and is survived by her siblings, Frank Dietrich (Claudia), Charlene Williams (Roger), Monica Beattie (Sanford), Rita Jester (Terry), Junella Bradfield (James) and Christopher Dietrich.

Bernadette’s parents owned Dietrich’s Natural Foods. Her mother often described her as a tiny little thing with lots of blonde curls and her father told stories of keeping her in a drawer at the store. It was said he showed her off to customers by opening the drawer where she was kept. As Bernadette grew she worked at the store often and took a more active role in the business when her father passed away in 1967. Birdie’s mother engendered her with an appreciation of natural foods that did not always overcome her love of all foods and sweets. Her younger daughters often got into her dresser drawers when they were children to find her hidden stash of sweets.

Bernadette started her education at Regina Coeli School. In the early 1960’s, the Dietrich’s moved their family to a farm in Genoa, Ohio. Birdie was enrolled in Genoa schools and while attending Genoa High School, she met her high school sweetheart, future husband and the father of her children, Ronald Dennis Dezanett. They married on July 10, 1969 and bore 10 children they named Eugene Dennis, Jason Louis, Rosalie Dawn, Juliet Anne, Lucas Tyson, Vincent Wyatt, Wesley Allen, Regina Lynn, Ranajo Mae and Roxanna Jane. Bernadette is survived by all her children save Juliet who died of complications shortly after birth.

Bernadette’s children gifted her with 11 grandchildren named Chad and Sara Hofacker; Mariah and Melissa Cast; Zaden, Samuel, Nehemiah, Kiara and Ethan Gomez; and Wyatt and Vincent Dezanett.

As a mother and homemaker most of her life, she still tried her hand at starting her own natural food store in Oak Harbor, Ohio. The store did not succeed but that did not stop her entrepreneurial nature. She and her husband ran a food booth at the Ottawa County Fair for several years selling hoagies.

Bernadette owned a 40 acre farm in Oak Harbor, Ohio, where she and Ronald raised their large family as well as various livestock over the years. They used the land for crop production and pheasant hunting at times. Bernadette loved flowers and grew as many as she could around the farm. She submitted them for judging in the fair over the years and happily won ribbons for her efforts.

Bernadette sent all her children to St. Boniface Elementary school and helped with church functions. She often volunteered her time and her children to help with the yearly Apple Pie and Chicken BBQ fundraisers the church hosts.  She was also in the group of mothers who watched the school children during recesses and lunches while the teachers ate.

She mothered her children from 1969 until 2010 when her youngest child graduated high school. In 2008 she started working again full-time at Dietrich’s Natural Foods, now owned by her brother Frank at its current location on Hill Ave. in Toledo. She was kind and helpful to all customers who walked into the store, greeting them with a smile. She helped them find the items they desired and make suggestions on other things of interest to them. She would often go out of her way to order items into the store for them if they were not in stock. It was the most honest example of the person she was her whole life.

Visitation for the dearly loved sister, aunt and mother will be on Friday, December 2, 2016 from 2-8PM at Freck Funeral Chapel, 1155 S Wynn Rd, Oregon, OH. The funeral mass for Bernadette will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Genoa, Ohio on Monday, December 5, 2016 at 11 AM with the family to receive guests one hour prior. She will be laid to rest at Clay Township Cemetery with her daughter Juliet and parents.

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