Bernice (Davenport) BOHNING

BOHNING, DAVENPORT, HARVEY, STEENBLOCK, JENISON, KUSIAN, BARKEMA, SCHAEFER, ANDERS, DRAISEY

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 3/16/2011 at 14:16:51

May 2, 1915 -- March 12, 2011

BELMOND, IA — Bernice Bohning, 95, of Belmond, passed away Saturday March 12, 2011, at Cedar Health in Charles City. Funeral services for Bernice Bohning will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday March 17, at the United Methodist Church in Belmond. Pastor Mike Druhl will officiate. Burial will be in the Belmond Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4 until 6 p.m. today, Wednesday, March 16, at the Dugger Funeral Home, 111 Luick’s Lane South in Belmond and will continue one hour prior to to the services at the church on Thursday. The family suggests that memorials be made to the United Methodist Church and/or Hospice of New Hampton.

Bernice was born on May 2, 1915, on an 80-acre farm in Wright County, three and one-half miles west of Belmond. She was the youngest of five children, one of whom died in infancy, born to Frank J. and Cora (Harvey) Davenport. Bernice, and her three older siblings, Ammon, Beatrice and Bernard, attended country school together. She graduated from Belmond High School in 1933. Bernice married Edward Alfred Bohning, son of Simon and Carrie (Steenblock) Bohning, on Feb. 11, 1934, in Belmond where they raised their family of three girls, Nyle, Karen and Alta.

Bernice spent the first years of their marriage raising her family and helping with farm. In 1955, she went to work at Hensel Bros., working in the office and candling eggs. After spending several years at this job, she decided to try something different and began working as a nurse’s aide at the Belmond Community Hospital, a position which she held for approximately seven years. Around 1966 she began working as a bookkeeper for the Belmond Chevrolet Garage. Her job as bookkeeper for the garage was a dream come true. She enjoyed this job so much that retiring was difficult. She retired in 1990 at seventy-five years young. Bernice became very fond of the owners of the garage, Joe and Steve McLaughlin and continued to make goodies for the garage’s coffee break every Friday for many years.

Bernice enjoyed cooking, reading, playing cards, using the computer, and spending time with her family. Her husband Ed had a heart attack at the age of 60, after which they moved into town. In 1981 they, along with 13 other individuals, built a privately owned condo addition to the retirement home. Bernice lost her husband on Jan. 31, 1996, from complications of hip surgery.

Bernice is survived by her three daughters, Nyle (Bradley) Jenison of Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.; Karen (Don) Kusian of Belmond; Alta (Randall) Barkema of Charles City. She is also survived by eight grandchildren, Nyla (Paul) Schaefer of Belmond; Kevin (MaryAnn) Jenison of Florida; Brad Jenison of Florida; Donita (Roger) Anders of Marshalltown; Tami Kusian of West Des Moines; Kim (Perri) Draisey of Keota; Todd (Renee) Barkema of Monticello; and Kevin (Gayle) Barkema of Conrad. Seventeen great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren also survive. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, two brothers, one sister and one great-grandchild, Zachary Draisey.

Bernice had a young spirit, great sense of humor and is loved by all of her family, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Dugger Funeral Home, 111 Luick’s Lane South, Belmond, IA.

Mason City Globe Gazette - Iowa
March 16, 2011