Retired Covenant chaplain Bernard L. Windmiller died December 17, 2025, in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. He was 93.
Bernard was born July 3, 1932, to Howard and Wilma Windmiller in Gary, Indiana. He earned a bachelor of arts in history from Bluffton College in 1959, a master’s of divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1963, a master’s of science in counseling from Long Island University in 1973, and a master of theology degree from Duke Divinity School in 1976. He was ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church in 1964.
He was drafted into the Army in 1954 and deployed to Korea, serving there just after that war ended while conflict remained. When he returned home, he acted upon a call to ministry he had heard earlier while in college. During seminary, he served as assistant pastor at Eagle Rock Covenant Church in Los Angeles, California, where he found a theological and ecclesial home in the Covenant. He went on to complete a year of orientation at North Park Theological Seminary while serving as pastor of the South Chicago Covenant Church, as well as in the U.S. Army Reserve Corps.
He married Esther Elizabeth Avery on March 10, 1956, in Wellington, Ohio.
Bernie was called to active duty in 1966. Nine months later, he deployed with the 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division to Vietnam. His year ministering to soldiers on and off the battlefield profoundly formed him for the rest of his ministry and life. His relationships with the men of Charlie Company continued until his death. He remained on active duty upon coming home and flourished in his career, ultimately serving as the commandant of the United States Army Chaplain Center and School and as the post chaplain at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, at the time of his retirement. He was awarded ten medals during his years of service, including two bronze stars for valor in Vietnam.
After retirement, Bernie and Esther moved to Princeton, Illinois, where they found a home for service and worship at the Evangelical Covenant Church for the next 23 years.
While in Princeton, Bernie served ten interim pastorates throughout western Illinois, including Batavia Covenant Church (twice); Elim Covenant Church in Moline; First Covenant Church in Peoria; First Covenant Church in Moline; Hillcrest Covenant Church in DeKalb; and Princeton Covenant Church (twice). He also served as a member and chair of the Board of Directors of Covenant Children’s Home and Family Services; as a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Evangelical Chaplains (IAEC) and as executive director; and in local community and veterans’ organizations. After decades of living in Army housing, he and Esther built their own home, and he created an impressive woodworking shop from which he produced fine furniture and toys for his grandchildren.
Bernie loved the Chicago Cubs and Bears all his life. From the moment of his calling to pastoral ministry, through 30 years of service to the United States Army and almost three decades in retirement of interim pastorates, he remained faithful and steadfast to the way of Jesus and to God’s purposes.
In 2019, Bernie and Esther moved to Harwood Place Senior Living in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, where they made new friends and Bernie’s strong, smooth voice added richness to the chorus. At age 90, he sang a memorable solo of “Some Enchanted Evening,” captivating the audience.
Bernie saw and responded to human need. When someone was in crisis, he would say, “I need to go to them,” and he did. In Vietnam he entered the field of battle alongside his soldiers. He wept over each of the scores who died in his battalion and then wrote a tender letter sharing the awful truth with each one’s family back home. While serving in Germany, he learned to play the guitar to minister more effectively to soldiers in hard places. In every ministry setting, he visited and cared for the sick, the lonely, the hurting, and the prisoner.
He is survived by his wife, Esther; his children, Beth Fredrickson (John) of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin; Leslie Hodgkinson (Donald) of Chicago, Illinois; Keith Windmiller (Lori) of Helen, Georgia; and Rebekah Windmiller-Piersol (Brian) of Brooklyn, New York. He adored his grandchildren, Rachel Woofter (Michael), Peter Fredrickson (Elizabeth), Andrew Fredrickson (Ellie), Meghan DeJong (Brad), Cameron Hodgkinson, Kelsey Hoffmann (Eric), Abby Hodgkinson, Reid Windmiller (Karlee), Tori Sprayberry (Devan), David Windmiller, Maxwell Piersol, and Kalliope Piersol; and his twelve great-grandchildren. His genuinely loved his nephews, Don Windmiller and Ron Windmiller.
Memorial gifts may be made to Evangelical Covenant Church of Princeton or the Ministers’ Care and Crisis Fund of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
Visitation will be held at Krause Funeral Home, 21600 West Capitol Drive, Brookfield, Wisconsin, on Friday, January 2, 2026, from 1 to 2 p.m, with a funeral service to be held at 2p.m. The family invites clergy in attendance at the memorial service to wear a white stole. Rev. Derek Boggs will officiate the service.
Burial will be held privately at Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
Peace be to his memory.
