Lieder, Bernard Louis "Bernie"
House 1985-2002 (District 2A); House 2003-2010 (District 1B)
Party when first elected: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Counties Served:
Becker, Clay, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth:
2/19/1923
Birth Place:
Greenwood, Minnesota
Birth County:
St. Louis
Birth Country:
United States
Date of Death:
8/23/2020
Gender:
Male
Religion:
Lutheran
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names:
Bernie
City of Residence (when first elected):
Crookston
Occupation (when first elected):
Engineer
EDUCATION
Rockford High School; Secondary;
University of Illinois; Attended College; Engineering
Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana; Attended College; Engineering
OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE
Military:
United States Army (World War II; France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany; Infantryman, Private);
1943 to 1946
County Government:
Polk County, Minnesota (Engineer);
1947 to 1984
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Spouse:
Shirley Bleck (married in 1952; she died while he was in office in 2000); Widower
Children:
Three children: Susan, Heidi, and Jane
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:
GENERAL NOTES
He was of German ancestry.
He grew up in Hanover, Minnesota.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Minnesota House of Representatives in the 2010 election. He lost to Debra Kiel by only 131 votes but he declined to seek a recount.
Of those legislators with known birth dates, he was one of the oldest legislators to serve in the Minnesota Legislature. Rep. Willard Munger was first at 88 years 6 months when he died in office. Rep. Bernie Lieder was second at 87 years and 10 months at the end of his term. Rep. Ron Erhardt was third at 87 years and 2 months at the end of his term in office.
He was the last WWII vet to serve in the state House (Star Tribune Obituary, 9/15/20).
Religion provided by Politics in Minnesota the Directory, 2005-2006.
Body: House
District: 01B
Elected: 11/4/2008
Residence: Crookston
Term of Office: 1/6/2009 to 1/3/2011
Counties Represented:
Marshall, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake
Occupation: Retired Engineer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs: Veterans Affairs Division
Minutes
-
Finance: Capital Investment Finance Division
Minutes
-
Finance: Transportation Finance and Policy Division (Chair)
Minutes
-
Finance: Transportation Finance and Policy Division: Transportation and Transit Policy and Oversight Division
Minutes
Ran in next election? Yes. Defeated in general election
Body: House
District: 01B
Elected: 11/7/2006
Residence: Crookston
Term of Office: 1/3/2007 to 1/5/2009
Counties Represented:
Marshall, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake
Occupation: Retired Engineer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Special Session Bills Authored: 2007 1st Sp.S. - Author
Committees:
-
Finance
Minutes
-
Finance: Capital Investment Finance Division
Minutes
-
Finance: Transportation Finance Division (Chair)
Minutes
-
Finance: Transportation Finance Division: Transportation and Transit Policy
Minutes
Body: House
District: 01B
Elected: 11/2/2004
Residence: Crookston
Term of Office: 1/4/2005 to 1/2/2007
Counties Represented:
Marshall, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake
Occupation: Professional Engineer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Body: House
District: 01B
Elected: 11/5/2002
Residence: Crookston
Term of Office: 1/7/2003 to 1/3/2005
Counties Represented:
Marshall, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake
Occupation: Professional Engineer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Body: House
District: 02A
Elected: 11/7/2000
Residence: Crookston
Term of Office: 1/3/2001 to 1/6/2003
Counties Represented:
Becker, Clay, Mahnomen, Norman, Polk
Occupation: Engineer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Special Session Bills Authored: 2001 1st Sp.S. - Author
Body: House
District: 02A
Elected: 11/3/1998
Residence: Crookston
Term of Office: 1/5/1999 to 1/2/2001
Counties Represented:
Becker, Clay, Mahnomen, Norman, Polk
Occupation: Engineer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Body: House
District: 02A
Elected: 11/5/1996
Residence: Crookston
Term of Office: 1/7/1997 to 1/4/1999
Counties Represented:
Becker, Clay, Mahnomen, Norman, Polk
Occupation: Professional Engineer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Financial Institutions and Insurance
Minutes
-
Transportation and Transit
Minutes
-
Transportation and Transit: Transportation and Transit Finance Division (Chair)
Minutes
-
Transportation and Transit: Transportation Efficiency and Standards
Minutes
-
Transportation and Transit: Transportation Operations
Minutes
Body: House
District: 02A
Elected: 11/8/1994
Residence: Crookston
Term of Office: 1/3/1995 to 1/6/1997
Counties Represented:
Becker, Clay, Mahnomen, Norman, Polk
Occupation: Professional Engineer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Capital Investment
-
Economic Development, Infrastructure and Regulation Finance
-
Economic Development, Infrastructure and Regulation Finance: Transportation Finance Division (Chair)
-
Transportation and Transit
-
Transportation and Transit: Transportation Systems
Body: House
District: 02A
Elected: 11/3/1992
Residence: Crookston
Term of Office: 1/5/1993 to 1/2/1995
Counties Represented:
Becker, Clay, Mahnomen, Norman, Polk
Occupation: Professional Engineer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Capital Investment
-
Economic Development, Infrastructure and Regulation Finance
-
Ethics (Chair)
[He was the Chair in 1993 only.]
-
General Legislation, Veterans Affairs, and Elections (Chair)
-
Transportation and Transit
-
Transportation and Transit: Transit
Body: House
District: 02A
Elected: 11/6/1990
Residence: Crookston
Term of Office: 1/8/1991 to 1/4/1993
Counties Represented:
Clay, Norman, Polk
Occupation: Professional Engineer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Appropriations
-
Appropriations: Economic Development, Infrastructure, and Regulation Division
-
Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs
-
Transportation
-
Transportation: Air, Rail, and Toll Roads (Chair)
-
Transportation: Surface Transportation
Body: House
District: 02A
Elected: 11/8/1988
Residence: Crookston
Term of Office: 1/3/1989 to 1/7/1991
Counties Represented:
Clay, Norman, Polk
Occupation: Professional Engineer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Appropriations
-
Appropriations: Agriculture, Transportation and Semi-State Division
-
Appropriations: Joint Claims (Chair)
-
Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs
-
Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs: Metro Affairs
-
Transportation
-
Transportation: Air Transportation (Chair)
-
Transportation: Surface Transportation
Body: House
District: 02A
Elected: 11/4/1986
Residence: Crookston
Term of Office: 1/6/1987 to 1/2/1989
Counties Represented:
Clay, Norman, Polk
Occupation: Professional Engineer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Appropriations
-
Appropriations: Agriculture, Transportation and Semi-States Division
-
Local and Urban Affairs
-
Regulated Industries
-
Transportation
-
Transportation: Highways and Motor Vehicles (Chair)
Body: House
District: 02A
Elected: 11/6/1984
Residence: Crookston
Term of Office: 1/8/1985 to 1/5/1987
Counties Represented:
Clay, Norman, Polk
Occupation: Engineer
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Crime and Family Law
-
Crime and Family Law: Criminal Justice
-
Local and Urban Affairs
-
Local and Urban Affairs: Local Government Affairs
-
Transportation
-
Transportation: Special Subcommittee on Department of Transportation
Articles & Books About
"Bernie Lieder: WWII vet, Minnesota legislator." Star Tribune, September 15, 2020, p. B4.
"Lieder, Bernard Louis." Star Tribune, August 30, 2020, p. B12.
Brown, Curt. "Dillinger to WWII to Legislature," Star Tribune, October 7, 2018, p. B4.
Dunn, Ruth. "War and Remembrance: Representatives Have Ties to End of WWII." Session Weekly, St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives Information Office, May 6, 2005, p. 19, 22.
District Files
District File - 2000 District 02A
District File - 2002 District 02A
District File - 2003 District 01B
District File - 2004 District 01B
District File - 2005 District 01B
District File - 2006 District 01B
District File - 2007 District 01B
District File - 2008 District 01B
District File - 2009 District 01B
These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.
The Minnesota Legislative Reference Library has collected newspaper articles on legislators since 1973. They are available in the Library.