Fifth Generation

79. Bernhard Albert "Bernard" KORTBEIN was born on 21 November 1915 in Ridgeville Township, Monroe County, WI.^{6,43,51,124,132} He was baptized on 19 December 1915 in Ridgeville Township, Monroe County, WI.¹²⁴ at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church. He appeared in the census in 1920 in Ridgeville Township, Monroe County, WI.³⁰ Bernard appeared in the census in 1930 in Ridgeville Township, Monroe County, WI.⁴⁰ He died on 15 April 1997 at the age of 81 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^6,43 He was buried in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁶⁰

Bernhard Albert "Bernard" KORTBEIN and Ruth Eleanor ZILLMER were married on 26 July 1941 in Ridgeville Township, Monroe County, WI.^43,133,134 Ruth Eleanor ZILLMER, daughter of Leo Anton ZILLMER and Lela Mildred GROSSMAN, was born on 10 November 1921 in Cataract, Little Falls Township, Monroe County, WI.^43,51 She died on 17 November 2004 at the age of 83 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁴³

Obituary Notes: "Ruth E. Kortbein Eckelberg, 83, of Tomah, died Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004, at Close To Home. She was born Nov. 10, 1921, to Leo and Lela (Grossman) Zillmer at Cataract. She was united in marriage to Bernard Kortbein July 26, 1941, at St. John Ev. Lutheran Church, Ridgeville. He preceded her in death April 15, 1997. She married Robert Eckelberg on Sept. 5, 1999, at St. Paul Ev. Lutheran Church in Tomah.

Ruth worked in food service in the summer at Fort McCoy. In 1988, she retired after 13 years in food service at the VA Medical Center, Tomah. She was a faithful member of St. Paul Ev. Lutheran Church and a member of the Deborah Circle and the Ladies Aid. She was also a member of the Senior Citizens Club at St. Paul Lutheran Church.

She is survived by her husband, Robert, of Tomah; four sons, Dennis of West Bend, Kurtis (Michelle) of Cedar Falls, IA, Brian (Rebecca) of Fairchild and Brad of La Crosse; two daughters, Karen (LeRoy) Koepke of Estelline, SD, and Nancy (Alan) McCoy of Sparta; 12 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; four step-daughters, Eileen (Luther) Wurster of Dawson, MN, Gail (Steve) VanderWal of Clinton, UT, Judy Heth of Miles City, MT, and Laura (Glenn) Jacobsen of Plano, IL; nine step-grandchildren; a brother, Spencer (Betty) Zillmer of Middleton; two sisters, Joan Rosenow of Waukesha and Betty (Robert) Nasgovitz of Taylorsville, KY; two sisters-in-law, Della Kortbein and Phyllis Zillmer, both of Tomah; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends..

She was preceded in death by her first husband; an infant daughter, Mary, and a brother, Wayne Zillmer.

Funeral services will be held Monday, Nov. 22, at 11 a.m. at St. Paul Ev. Lutheran Church, 525 Superior Ave., Tomah. Pastor Donald R. Buch will officiate. Burial will be in Oak Grove Cemetery, Tomah. Relatives and friends are invited to call on Sunday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Sonnenburg Family Funeral Home, 801 E. Monowau St., Tomah, and at the church on Monday from 10 a.m. until time of the services."
She was buried on 22 November 2004 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁴³ in the Oak Grove Cemetery.

Bernhard Albert "Bernard" KORTBEIN and Ruth Eleanor ZILLMER had the following children:

+114	i.	Karen Ruth KORTBEIN.
+115	ii.	Nancy Lou KORTBEIN.
+116	iii.	Dennis KORTBEIN.
+117	iv.	Kurtis KORTBEIN.
+118	v.	Brian KORTBEIN.
119	vi.	Brad KORTBEIN was born (date unknown).
120	vii.	Mary KORTBEIN was born in 1948.⁶⁰ She died in 1948 at the age of 0.⁶⁰ She was buried in 1948 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁶⁰ in the Oak Grove Cemetery.