Bernice D. Walker

Bernice D. Walker, 89, of Hampton, Iowa, passed away Friday May 30, 2014, at her home in Hampton, Iowa. Our mother was from a family of nine children consisting of six girls and three boys. She was born September 28, 1924 in Reading, Pennsylvania and named Bernice Darlington Long. From the first day her oldest brother called her Bubbles because she was constantly blowing bubbles as newborn babies often do. The nickname stuck and everyone called her Bubbles throughout her lifetime. She was baptized and confirmed at the Grace Lutheran Church in Reading, Pennsylvania. She grew up during the depression. Her family enjoyed the simple things of life as there was little money. They often camped in the Pocono Mountains and she always talked about that fondly. During the Easter Season her mother would make chocolate covered peanut butter Easter eggs and she and her sisters would go door to door selling them to earn extra money for the household. In 1942 Bubbles graduated from Reading High School with over one thousand in her graduating class. While in high school she played the violin and studied tailoring. She became an excellent seamstress and often tailored her own wool winter coats and made many quilts. After high school she joined the Women's Army Corp (WAC) as our country was at war. She was trained as a technician. As the war came to a close she was honorably discharged in 1945. During her service in the army she met (Johnny) Clyde Walker. He became her husband on May 7, 1946 in Charles City, Iowa and they shared 67 anniversaries together. Our mother could pinch a penny to the size of a nickel. She wasn't stingy, just careful. She canned and froze food from her garden. She had a strawberry patch the size of Vermont and we all picked strawberries to freeze every summer and our fingertips were stained red until we started school in the fall. She always hung her wash out on the clothes line in good weather even though she had a dryer. Yes, growing up in a large city in Pennsylvania during the depression greatly defined her life. We recycled before recycling became popular. We washed and reused bread bags until the print came off. Once I had lost the pearl from my ring, a birthday gift from my parents. Our mother just knew that the family dog had swallowed it. Therefore we were going to retrieve that pearl. I do not even want to describe what we kids had to do every day with a fork after that dog did her business on the lawn. I, for one, was greatly relieved when that pearl was never found because I knew that I would have to resume wearing that ring with that recycled pearl. Her husband designed and built two homes during their marriage. Bubbles was his right hand in the building of those homes. She worked right beside him. She filled and sanded ever nail hole. We remember seeing her using a table knife to stuff insulation around the windows and any other place that might admit air. She painted all the ceilings and walls. She applied the black foundation coating on the exterior basement walls and was a gopher for our father. Together they were a hard working team. She did all of this after an eight hour day at Maytag. She was employed there in 1954 and worked for 21 years in wire harness when she retired for medical reasons. Sadly, Johnny passed nine weeks ago and she was heart sick without him. On May 30, 2014 with her three children at her bedside she left us to be with her Johnny. Predeceasing her were her parents, three brothers, five sisters and all their spouses and.....her Johnny. Remaining here and looking forward to a great family reunion someday are her three children, son Perry (Deb) Walker of rural Franklin County, daughter Carolee (Dennis) Philpott of Hampton, son Tom (Shirley) Walker of Hampton, six grandchildren Rev. Shane Philpott, Amber Dean, Heath Walker, Shaun Walker, Brandon Walker and Randi Walker and fifteen great-grandchildren. In 1945 when our mother was stationed at Camp Adair, Oregon our father sent her a postcard. On one side he had written sentiments. The other side had a colorful picture of Mt. Shasta. On the picture he had drawn an arrow pointing to the mountain top and wrote "I will see you here". Perhaps they met on that mountain top on May 30th and walked together into eternity.

Tributes

Bernice D. Walker

September 28, 1924 - May 30, 2014