Pat Bierman

Pat Bierman 1935-2023 88 years of love, compassion and empathy ended when our mother quietly and peacefully left all of us who cherished her here to reunite with so many dearly missed friends and family members who had gone before her.

A rosary will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory, Rock Island, Ill. Memorial visitation will follow from 4-7 p.m. at the funeral home. A second visitation will be held Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, from 5-7 p.m. at Holy Family Church in Lindsay, Neb., with a rosary following at 7 p.m. A memorial mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, at Holy Family Church in Lindsay, Neb. Burial will be at Holy Family Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Shriners Hospitals in Pat’s honor.

Mom’s life began Jan. 21, 1935, on the family farm outside Cornlea, Nebraska. All she ever wanted to be was a mother and that care giving started early. The middle of 9 children, she and her sister Erna spent their childhoods raising their younger siblings and running the home during their own beloved mother’s periods of illness; forging a bond that lasted all their lives and setting the foundation of compassionate kindness which was the hallmark of her life.

On September 23, 1953 she married David Bierman and together they welcomed 8 children. In 1967, after farming all their lives, they made the difficult decision to relocate to the Quad Cities. Mom knew what it meant to be the new face among strangers and greeted every new person she met for the rest of her life with a genuine and open heart.

She was steadfast in her faith all her life and devoted many hours to and received much support from her parish friends at Sacred Heart, St. Mary’s and recently Our Lady of the River.

Mom was a sewer, quilter, Cubs fan, crossword and jigsaw puzzle aficionado and fierce card player. She was a babysitter extraordinaire and devoted to playing competitive games with her grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband Dave, son Joe, grandson Alex Smith, her parents Albert and Antoinette Hemmer, brothers Floyd, Lee and Bill Hemmer, sisters Erna Ternus and Beth Patrick, sister-in-law Mary Ann Hemmer and brothers-inlaw Jim Bierman, Dick Ternus and Ray Patrick.

Pat is survived by her brother Fr. Joseph Hemmer O.F.M., sisters Elaine (Don Hamm) and Carol Freudenburg, sisters-inlaw Romana (Gerard Preister), Madonna (Dave Flock), Elda Hemmer, daughter-in-law Joy Bierman, daughters Julie (John Noriega), Roxanne Bierman, Lynn (Greg Booras), Sandra Biermann (Wyatt Gillispie), Jackie (Scott Terrill), Donna Roton and son David Biermann (Staci), grandchildren Amanda Marshall, Mario Sanchez, Maria Higdon, Charles Smith, Summer Thompson, Alexa Charlton, Josh Gillispie, Ben Biermann, Haley Gladkin, Roseanne Terrill, Jassimine Dixon, Julia, David and Cole Biermann, Walker, Avery and Griffin Roton, and great grandchildren Tristin, Elijah, Jack, Ethan, William, Preston, Caleb, Lucy, Ayden, Clyde, Clement, Juliet and Hensley.

Mom’s generosity of heart, nurturing spirit, and positive approach to life endeared her to everyone who knew her. She adored her many nieces and nephews, honorary grandchildren and special friends including but not limited to Jody Vincent and Scott Bolster, Bill and Theresa Santee, and Greg Smith.

At the end of her life Mom was asked how she felt and she said “I feel loved.” And she was.