Born on January 21, 1923. Passed away on October 16, 2020.
Predeceased by; 6 siblings, sons; Mike (Elaine), Nick, Peter, Mark and Tom and best friend Mitzi Vold. Survived by sisters, Isabel Olman and Millie Olson, children, Lis Thurber (Dale), Paul (Betty), Margaret Hylton (Mickey), Ann Reinhardt (Daryl); 32 grandchildren and great-grandchildren; daughters in law, Sharon, Betty, Kay, and Kathy; many nieces and nephews. Berniece was fond of saying in her last year of life “did you know I am 97, isn’t that amazing?“ Yes it was, and here’s a little more about her amazing life. Berniece was a middle child in a family with eight siblings. Her mother Mary worked hard to keep the family afloat during frequent absences of her father George. The siblings had to be an integral part of raising their younger siblings. Berniece called Isabel, Millie and Richard her babies. They were her first set of babies she commented in her final days. Her older siblings Mary, Helen, Eva, George, Adam were charged with looking out for her. Berniece’s family moved often as her father looked for work. She was born in Montana, moved to Alabama, and then settled in Minnesota, where she lived from elementary school until her death. She graduated from Washington High School in 1939. After graduation she worked for the telephone company. Thank goodness she had a summer job too on Manitou Island in White Bear lake at the concession stand where she met the handsome Gerard LaPointe. She married Gerard LaPointe in 1941. They lived in several homes in St Paul and moved to Inver Grove Heights (IGH) in 1952. The home and acres at 9525 Rich Valley Boulevard allowed her 9 children – Michele, Nicholas, Peter, Mark, Elisabeth, Thomas, Paul, Margaret and Ann – to roam free. It hosted Zocher family gatherings and 3M employee gatherings. It was the Inver Grove Heights version of the Wild West. Live fire arms and fencing foils were allowed and monitored loosley. Berniece and Gerard divorced in 1970. Berniece entered the full time work-force to support three children still at home – Paul, Margaret and Ann. She worked as a punch card operator at Adams Burke, as a nurse’s aid at Wilder Foundation, and worked as an in-home care nursing aid for Home Services Inc., one of the first in-home care agencies. She sought employment assistance from the Department of Economic Security and ended up working in a clerical role for them during the 70s and 80’s.
She embarked on her formal college education attending St. Mary’s College at their Minneapolis campus graduating in 1976 with an Associate Degree with what was then termed Special Education. Berniece kept every college essay she ever wrote and was very proud of her academic accomplishments. She commented that a psychology professor told her she was amazing. She continued as a life-long learner as she took classes at Metro University with the goal to obtain her bachelors degree. She was only a few courses away from completing that goal. She completed a Certificate in Chemical Dependency as well. After college graduation, she worked in halfway houses for individuals leaving chemical dependency treatment and then for people leaving jail or prison. She worked in group homes for the mentally and physically challenged and in a group foster home setting for youth with chemical dependency issues. She took a few years off from working in her 70’s, but that was not for her. From age 79-89, Berniece was a mail clerk and mail packet assembler at Dakota County Northern Service Center, a job she found through a Dakota County program for seniors. Of course, she was amazing there also and stayed in touch with co-workers Diane and Jan through Christmas cards and letters. In the early 2000s, she moved to Country Club Manor apartment building in West St Paul. There she would meet a woman who loved her like a sister, Mitzi Vold often called Berniece her sister. They lived across the hall from each other and would frequently leave their apartment doors open all day long and wander back and forth between each other’s apartment like they lived in a college dormitory. When they did close their doors, they didn’t lock them and would enter without a knock. Mitzi accepted Berniece with all her quirks. She frequently told her she was the smartest woman she knew and Berniece loved to hear that.
Berniece’s eyesight failed beginning in her 80s but that didn’t stop her from driving until she was 91. When her eye doctor was questioned about if she should be driving, he said “she drives?, she’s been legally blind for 7 years!” She moved to Augustana Regent in Burnsville when she was 92 and The Sanctuary At West St Paul at age 93. She was one of the first 10 people to move into the building and was excited to get to pick out her exact apartment. It was well known that Berniece favored her male siblings and male children. Her nephew Dick Shenk recently commented that he knew that his Aunt Berniece adored him. She preferred male physicians as well, a fact that seemed to conflict with her self declared feminist stance. Her lack of organization made her children better organizers, her questionable driving skills made her children better drivers, her navigational challenges made her children better at reading maps and asking for directions. Berniece loved her children, grand and great grand children dearly. She was the best sibling, mother, grandmother and friend she knew how to be.