Bernice Bartel was born the third daughter to Bernard and Blanche Lorang in Lewiston, ID on 9/8/23. After moving to Portland at age 14 her family owned a small grocery store. She graduated from high school in 1941 and enrolled in the US Cadet Nursing program at St. Joseph’s Hospital. She had a beautiful voice and earned spending money singing at weddings and funerals. Bernice received her RN degree on 8/14/45, the day Japan surrendered, so she took a job at Providence Hospital and rapidly advanced to become a charge nurse.
Introduced to Bill Bartel on a blind date on 8/2/45, they became engaged on New Year’s Eve and married Aug. 15th, 1946. She gave up her official nursing career to become a Ridgefield farm wife. However, she used her nursing skills for the next 70 years patching up family and neighbors and became the go-to medical person in the local community. She fondly credited her mother-in-law, Ida Bartel, for helping her transition from a city girl to a farm wife on their 130-acre dairy.
Quiet, humble, kind, devout and accepting were all traits defining her character. Her greatest joy was her family. She is survived by her children, Linda (Dave) Hoffman, Larry (Susan) Bartel, and Pete (Eileen) Bartel, who all helped care for her the past few years. She also loved her 8 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Bill, and her beloved sisters Bea and Kay. Her memory remained sharp up to the end.
Bernice passed away at home on April 8, 2019. Since 1946 she attended St. Mary of Guadalupe Catholic Church at 1520 N 65th Ave, Ridgefield. On Tuesday, April 16th there will be a rosary at St. Mary’s at 10:30 followed by a Catholic Mass at 11:00 and then a meal in the hall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to OHSU Casey Eye Institute MS/45, PO Box 29017, Portland, OR 97296-9800 (casey.supportohsu.org) or Good Days (a non-profit assistance program) 6900 N Dallas Parkway, Suite 200, Plano, TX 75024. Include a note “In memory of Bernice Bartel”.
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