Bernice Helen Wendell

Bernice was born to Frank Leonard and Esther Troy in Boston, MA. Her mother passed away when Bernice was 2 years old and she and her sister were formally adopted by her aunt and uncle, Preston and Olive Smith, when she was about 6 years old. Bernice went to school in Boston, South Lancaster and completed one year of college before marrying Burton Wendell in 1944. She worked full time to help him finish his senior year. After graduation they worked the summer in New Hampshire, spent 2 years learning French in Washington, D.C. where Janice was born. They left for Africa to be missionaries in 1947 and this is where both Karen and Don were born. Bernice was a city girl brought into a very different environment to cook, make clothes, teach her children their school lessons, and many other duties. When opening a new mission, conditions were very basic, starting from nothing, yet she never complained about the difficulties. The family all enjoyed vacations to the national parks and game reserves to see the animals in the wild. The family returned to the U.S. via Europe and England in 1961 so their children could go to college, etc. Burton found work at Mile High Academy in Denver and Bernice started working at Porter Hospital filling various positions until 1972 when they were called back to Africa where they stayed until Burton's retirement in 1986. They returned to the U.S. via the Far East this time. Back in Denver they enjoyed volunteering at the Adventist Comunity Services for many years and traveling around the U.S. visiting family, relatives, friends and the national parks. Bernice is survived by her husband Burton, three children: Janice, Karen, Don; daughter-in-law Jody; 5 grandchildren: Shelley, Cynthia, Geoffrey, Heidi, David; and 4 great-grandchildren: Roxanna, Alex, Kyrianna, Rhaena. Service information is pending.