Brynjulf Lyshol left his native land of Norway in 1958 with every intention of making it to that great frontier… Australia. As part of the merchant marines he had plenty of experience traveling the world. Little did he know that when he stopped by Ketchikan to visit his mother that he would meet his true love and lifelong partner Joanne.

After settling down and starting a family in Ketchikan the couple wanted to make sure they provided for their family. After success with a family run chicken farm and working on the Alaska ferry system they purchased the local Montgomery Ward Catalog Sales Agency in 1978, after the agency closed they decided to open Bernie’s in 1986 and became an independent retail store.

Bernie’s ability to wheel and deal combined with Joanne’s excellent business acumen led to success. The store has persisted as a valuable part of the greater Ketchikan community and as their children grew, their daughter Julie took it upon herself to learn the business and keep the store running after Bernie and Joanne’s retirement.

Now, more than 35 years later, the third generation of Bernie’s lineage embark on the continuing challenge of making Bernie’s the place to go to get a great deal on appliances and home furnishings. To this day we still hold the same motto that Bernie established: “If you bought it at list price, you probably didn’t buy it at Bernie’s”

Come shop with us.

Brynjulf
Lyshol

Founder

Joanne
Lyshol

Founder