Memories...so many memories. 35 years I have been a part of this family and I've got to say it has been crazy and at times challenging. I would get so frustrated when after telling the children they had to behave in church you would make paper airplanes out of the bulletin and let them fly them into someone. I can laugh now ...
All the stories you had about everyone in the neighborhood from just looking out the window, always amazed me. 
Listening to all your "Bus  Ride" stories.  I remember our trips to the park to feed the ducks, six flags (always had to go to Burger King so the kids could get there crowns),  vacations, School picnics, just driving down our street to see if we were home, ... You and John were always there for the kids, never missed anything that I can remember. The love you showed my mom, especially after she lost my dad, I will forever be grateful. I am so glad you two got to see each other one last time when we celebrated Vieve's birthday, just a few months ago.
When I  homeschooled, you always said I kept the best records. 
When I was afraid of spiders you assured me that I vacuum too many times for spiders to stay in the house. 
We had our differences but we also had a lot in common, Our potato salad was the same even though you always said you liked mine better (cause you didn't have to  make it). Our love for family (even though at times we both complained about them) , Our love for The Blessed Mother and saying the rosary for all the problems in life and family. I will always treasure the Rosaries you've given me and all the prayers and Holy cards you gave to me. Your favorite "The Infant Child Jesus Novena" I still say to this day. I loved seeing you at Mass especially the Novena to Our Lady of Fatima at IHM. 
I remember when you told me I had to be nice to you because one day I would be "Grandma Bock" then you would laugh...Now it doesn't seem so funny. 
You will be missed Bernice but never forgotten !!
Love Brenda

I'm blessed to have thirty years of memories with my Grandma. There are too many to count; too many to go through in just a few days. I remember how much she loved to have fun. She liked to be light-hearted and she enjoyed the silly, messy, random of life. When I became a mother, she often reminded me that children weren't supposed to be quiet and clean. She wanted them loud and running around-healthy, as she put it. She always told me not to worry about any mess my children made in her house...because it was a home scarred from love. 

Grandma and Grandpa both took my husband as their own grandchild, and they were always considerate to ask him about his family and to call whenever France was in the news.  They were just good people. 

I left a memory for Grandpa about our trip to Mertle beach, and I'd like to share one of Grandma too. One afternoon she told my sister and I to walk to their hotel so she could buy us a Burger. She was always certain to feed us! We swam with Grandpa in the hotel pool while Grandma looked on. She told us how proud grandpa was to show off his granddaughters. We went back to see them later that night. Grandma and pa had just gotten back from the Dixie Stampede. As Grandpa was showing off his gold metal for winning the toilet seat "horse shoe" game, Grandma reached into her purse and sure enough, she had an entire Rotisserie  Chicken in a ziplock bag! "Are you hungry?" She asked. Jessica and I laughed so hard! 

Of all the things grandma taught us, having a ziplock bag in your purse "just in case" is one of my favorites!  

I will always remember my Aunt B. for:
Her calm voice of reason.
Her gentle, kind soul.
Her genuine concern for others.
Her love for her family.
Her easygoing, laid-back attitude.
Her deep understanding and forgiveness of human behavior.
Her ability to "make it all better" for all of the kids that brought her their troubled hearts.  
Her wonderful laugh. I loved that laugh!
Her pretty smile.
Her cat-eye glasses back in the day. Loved 'em!
Hearing her say "Oh John!" when exasperated with something Uncle John just said. An eye roll normally followed...
Her all-knowing, all-seeing uncanny ability to know the mischief that kids have just gotten into and the exceptional character of just giving us "the look" and letting it slide (it was enough for her to let us know that she knew that we knew). MOST OF THE TIME...

I truly admired and loved her deeply. I will miss you Aunt B.


What an honor to have known Bernice and to have had her part of our lives. Because her memory remains, she is and always will be a wonderful friend.  Thank God for her! 
She is a fabulous wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. As a neighbor, she was the best—a mentor and a guide.  She was fun to be with and taught us a lot about family life. 
Once when one of our children got hurt, she went with us to Cardinal Glennon Emergency and called John later to pick her up. Little did we know, that it was their anniversary and they were planning to go out to dinner….a late one as it turned out! That was the kind of friends she and John were—always putting others before themselves.
When one of our neighbors confessed that she didn’t like Christmas because as a child, she didn’t get a doll she wanted and was forever disappointed.  Bernice rallied us and we took turns putting surprises on her door each morning for the 12 days before Christmas.  On Christmas Eve, we went to her house to carole the “12 days of Christmas” and Bernice presented her with a doll.  She teared up and said “this is the best Christmas!” 
That is Bernice, a great friend who wants to bring joy to others.
Now, may God hold her and John in the palm of His hand!


I have many, many wonderul memories of Aunt Bernice..... Elvis music, the IHM parade/picnic, our trip to South Padre Island, her alteration skills on my wedding dress, and so many holidays and gatherings in my Mom & Dad’s living room.  She always made me laugh and feel loved and important.  I recently found a newspaper clipping with an ad from ‘Jilly’s cupcake’ that she sent to my daughter with a note telling her that everyone called me Jilly when I was little.  She was such a big part of my family’s life and we love her and will miss her terribly.  

My Aunt "Bobo" is truly a saint. I think she got that nickname Bobo from me, her oldest niece on the Bast family side. I tried to say Bernice when I was learning to talk and that got it started.  After my Mom (her sister Dorothy) died, I knew I could always call on my Aunt Bernice to get some motherly advice on raising children.  No matter what problems or questions I was dealing with she had the answers and made me feel like everything was going to work out and be okay. I will miss her dearly. She had a knack for making everybody feel special and feel loved. We all love and miss you already Aunt Bobo.

Every memory with Grandma was like gold! You left every visit feeling refreshed, enthusiastic, lighthearted and free. She was an amazing Grandma, and my memories surround conversation after conversation with her on her porch or on the couch by the big window in Grandma and Grandpa’s house! I remember a time we were all together, the whole family, for some occasion and a bird flew right into that window! We all laughed and thought it was so funny. Some other fond memories include all the wise words she shared with me about not taking life too seriously, not sweating the small stuff and life being too short to worry about a cupcake! She loved crafts (she passed this on to many of us!) soda pop (no diet please!) and her reality shows (she didn’t like all of them though - she reminded me of this just last Tuesday!). A funny memory related to this is when my niece Emma was only 3 or 4 years old. I found her running in circles over and over again, faking that she was breathing heavy as if she was tired. I asked her what she was doing and she said “I’m running. I have to run! I can’t stop!” - this perplexed me until my sister-in-law Carin explained they had recently visited Grandma and watched the biggest loser with her and Emma has “had to run” ever since! Haha I still laugh every time I think about it! 

My fondest memories of Aunt Bernice are when she tried to keep Uncle John in line and after scolding him she would wink at me.

She was my Aunt Bobo! I was lucky enough to have her as my Godmother. Growing up, she always made me feel so special and I hope I did the same for her! She and Uncle Johnny, my parents and Aunt Lucy visited us when we lived in Canada  and I’ll never forget she lost a shoe! When she and Uncle Johnny came for fish at Ott’s they’d stop by for a quick visit. She’s stay in the car but I loved those driveway visits! She loved my pound cake and even mentioned it recently in the hospital. I can’t believe she’s gone but she will always be in my heart. I love you!

I’ve been trying to figure out the right words to say and I just can’t seem to find them.  Nothing seems to do justice to the amazing woman I was blessed to call Grandma. She was kind, loving, honest, strong, stubborn, funny, and my favorite person in the world to gossip with.  She had a way of making you feel completely at ease the moment you walked in the door. She always had coffee ready, or a snack, and more recently especially we spent a lot of time just chatting, gossiping, hanging out, and snacking on Hawaiian krunchers like teenagers. It made me so happy that I was able to be there with her. She once asked me “Does it bother you that I still call you Sammy?” I told her it would never bother me, and if only she knew how much I loved it that she still called me that to this day. Grandma, I love you and am going to miss you so much!! 

Grandma was the person to call for a recipe, a crafting tip, a little bit of gossip, or to talk about life. Her house was a haven for a heart break, a sneaky dessert before dinner, a stop while walking the dog and a Saturday morning cup of coffee. She’s dancing with Grandpa and sitting on a front porch with Aunt Janelle now. Love you always.

OBITUARY

Bernice M. Bock

22 March, 1937 – 20 February, 2020

Hoffmeister Colonial Mortuary

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