Bernherd Marion Bekkerus was born on Ted and Sophie's farm in Oakport Township, Clay County, Minnesota, on September 6, 1919. He was named in honor of his uncle,  Bernhard Hegland.

He attended country school through the eighth grade followed by the Moorhead State Teacher's College Campus School (now Minnesota State University-Moorhead) where he graduated from high school. He received a degree in chemistry from the North Dakota Agricultural College (now NDSU) in 1941.

Bernherd married Lois Dickenson in Wise, Virginia, on October 7, 1945.  Their only daughter was born while he was employed  in Sayreville, New Jersey.

He was assigned to other locations with Hercules Powder, Inc. before being assigned to the plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in 1960.  After his retirement in 1984, Bernherd continued as a consultant and supervised construction projects in Korea, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, China, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and Thailand.

Known as "Bernie" to his friends and "Babe" to his family, his hobby was woodworking and he enjoyed painting, especially traditional Norwegian rosemaling,

Bernhard died peacefully in his home in Lake Charles on the afternoon of December 20, 2008. After a funeral in Lake Charles, his cremains were buried in the Dickenson family plot in Temple Hill, Virginia.