Bernice Pierce passed away on July 9, 2023, after fighting dementia for over five years. At 93, she had a good long run and decided it was time for her to go.
Bernice was born to Henry and Rose Apel in Enid, Oklahoma where she was raised on a farm with six sisters. At the age of 21, she met and married Donovan Pierce. They started a family in 1951, and moved to Kingsville, Texas in 1952 and back to Enid in 1954.
The Air Force called Donovan into active duty from the reserves in 1957 and told him to report to Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Three years later the family moved to Lackland Air Force Base, and then received orders for Wiesbaden Air Force Base in Germany. After dad left, mom was able to hold the family together and get the house and everything in it sold. Seven months later, with three children in tow, she finally received orders to join dad in Germany. Three years later, they were transferred back to the States and stationed in Montgomery, Alabama where their last son was born in 1964. One year later, tired of moving so often, Donovan requested a permanent assignment to play in the Band at The Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado and his request was approved, and the family moved to Colorado in 1965.
Bernice started to work for Hewlett-Packard Company in the mid-sixties and became their first female supervisor. She worked at Hewlett-Packard for twenty years and received several accolades for her skills. Bernice also held administrative positions with Wells Fargo in Texas and Colorado Springs for several more years. She loved traveling with their motor home and following warm weather to south Texas where they ended up retiring. Mom was a wonderful cook and artist with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. She loved to dance and would go along with dad when he played “gigs” and dance with friends while he played in the band. They were married sixty-eight years.
Bernice is survived by one sister, Sue Ellen, and was preceded in death by her husband, Donovan in 2019. She had five children: Joanne, Richard, Kathryn, Susan, and Alan. She was blessed with eleven grandchildren; sixteen great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
The family plans to bury their mom and dad’s ashes together at the Pikes Peak National Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
We love and miss you mom, and know you are having a long-awaited dance with dad in Heaven.
JOANNE KISNER
21 Jul 2023Such a wonderful story of Mom and Don. So sorry for the loss. May they rest in peace 🙏. I love and miss you both ❤️. Eternal Memory.
Carol Benson
23 Jul 2023My prayers and tears going to “B” today as she was my best friend at Garden of the Gods Bank years ago. I will never forget her. I miss her Christmas cards too.
Victor Gelner
23 Jul 2023Don and Bernice were my neighbors for 14 years prior to moving to Texas. I hated to see them move but they needed to move to lower elevation. May they both rest in peace.
DANNY and DIANA WOOD
24 Jul 2023Our Love and memories of Don and Bea will last forever. Wonderful friends, wonderful people, wonderful family. We Love you always. Danny and Diana Wood and family
Janette Robino
24 Jul 2023Beautiful write up! So many memories of both of them . So glad our family got to visited many times in Colorado. Couldn’t of asked for a better Aunt and Uncle!! Love to all of you! ❤️Sending Prayers 🙏
Stephen Pierce
27 Jul 2023I have many fond memories of Uncle Donovan and Aunt Bernice. From visiting them in their house in “The Springs” with Pikes Peak framed in the kitchen window, to riding around the foothills in an International Harvester Scout with my brother, cousin Alan, my dad(Donovan’s brother) and uncle Donovan at the wheel. I think it was baby blue in color but that was a long time ago! I also recall visiting them after they moved to the valley and watching two of my uncles play in the Don’s Dons trio. Good times…
I learned some stuff I did not know from the write up, very nice.
Anonymous
28 Jul 2023So sad to hear of your Moms passing. But as you said she is with Don in Heaven now. Over the years I had the opportunity to see them a few times when they visited Cass and Louise and I so enjoyed them. The recent passings of Louise and Betty Ann was so hard but the sisters are together again. Many prayers to you all and much love! 💗🙏🙏💗