Bernard Tuttle Obituary

July 17, 1917 - November 10, 2008
On November 10, 2008, Bernard Ralph Tuttle passed on to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Born July 24, 1917 in Winner, South Dakota, Bernard was the eldest of seven children born to Jesse and Bertha Tuttle. The Tuttles were farmers and ranchers. Although they lived very modestly and had few physical comforts, they were rich in family and the things that mattered in life. Bernard loved to talk about his family and growing up on the prairies of South Dakota. Throughout his life, he returned to South Dakota every chance he got. He was particularly proud of each of his siblings and bragged about the growing size of the Tuttle clan. Upon graduating from high school, Bernard attended Sioux Falls College in Sioux Falls, S.D., where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1940. He then taught high school for one year in Bushell, S.D., before being drafted into the Army. In the Army Air Corps, he served his country proudly as a glider pilot in World War II. While stationed in Leicester, England, Bernard met the love of his life, Jean Gale. The two married at the end of World War II, and returned to the United States to begin the next chapter of their lives. Having heard the call to go into the ministry, Bernard enrolled at Central Baptist Seminary in Kansas City, Kansas. While attending seminary, he and Jean pastored a small church in Mound City, Kansas, for six years. He ultimately received a Bachelor of Divinity Degree and a Master of Theology Degree from Central Baptist Seminary. Over the course of the next 34 years, he served as pastor to churches in Lead, South Dakota; Bridgeport, Nebraska; Millard, Nebraska; and Pueblo, Colorado. Even after retiring from full-time ministry, he served as an interim pastor for First Baptist Church in Florence, Colorado, and as a volunteer chaplain for Health South Rehabilitation Center in Colorado Springs. In 1980, Bernard began his second career as a realtor. He worked for Walker Coldwell Banker until he retired in 1999 at the age of 82. He viewed his time in real estate as an extension of his ministry and his lifelong call to help people. He loved helping people buy their first home, and was known for returning large portions of his commission to young people and those less fortunate. Even though making money was not Bernard's top priority, one year he earned the Coldwell Banker award for being the top salesperson in the Southern Office. After retiring for the second time, he continued to give back to the community, volunteering each week at the Colorado Springs Ecumenical Social Ministries. Bernard is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Jean; three children, Margaret (Tom), Paul (Linda), and Richard (Lori); and numerous grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his eldest son, Philip, and by his younger sister, Beulah. Services will be held Friday, November 14, at 10:30 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 219 Bijou, Colorado Springs, CO. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Fund for Habitat for Humanity.
"Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same."