Bernice Oneita Miesel was born June 21, 1921 to Edward Lawrence and Amanda Gladys (Fankhouser) Meisel at the family home seven miles northwest of Haviland, Kansas. She went to her heavenly home from the Wallace County Community Care Center, quietly and painlessly, on October 19, 2017.

Bernice was the oldest of three children, Howard Donald and Donna Lee. When it came time for her to start to grade school she stayed with her grandparents, Len and Cora Fankhouser during the week, which she described as quite an occasion for her. She also enjoyed joining her dad on fishing trips to Frank McQuay’s. They stayed in cabins along with other friends family. There was a swimming pool which they enjoyed. “Mother” Gladys was a very good cook and Bernice loved her hot biscuits and the fish her dad caught. Other occasions like birthdays, anniversaries and Holidays were a great time also as they included a table of good food and house full of family and friends at Grandfather and Grandmother Fankhouser’s.

Bernice graduated from Haviland High School (where she met her future husband, William Harold Tuttle) in the spring of 1939. Harold and Bernice were married on December 15, 1940 at her parents’ home, northwest of Haviland. To this union, four children were born. Delores Kay, October 2, 1941, Larry Harold, March 13, 1944, Gary Dillard, August 23, 1949, and William Edward (Billy Ed), October 2, 1952.

Bernice always worked on the farm, whether it was driving a tractor, wheat truck or cooking for twelve or more harvest hands. She was also very involved in WIFE, where she was a Charter member of the Kiowa County Chapter, holding various offices, working on floats, manning fair booths, etc. She was also very involved in the State and National Chapters of WIFE and held several offices. She was an active leader in 4-H while her children were growing up, helping groom sheep, clip cattle, attending meetings, or whatever needed to be done to get ready for the fair. She was also active in Kinds Daughters and loved to sing in the ladies church quartet and participate in the basket dinners art church where her specialties were corn casserole and four layer chocolate dessert—leftovers were never a concern. In her later years she enjoyed traveling the U.S. visiting various historic sites, friends and family, attending WIFE meetings, and her Friday trips to Lamar for beauty shop appointments, shopping, and lunch with friends, and attending the East End Senior Citizens Center in Towner every Monday and Wednesday for several years painting ceramics, playing cards, marbles, and visiting.

Bernice was preceded in death by her parents, husband, daughter Delores Kay (Stillborn) and son Billy Ed (after a 2 month illness in 1960) and brother Howard. She is survived by two sons Larry and his wife Judy Tuttle of Towner, Gary of Towner, sister Donna Campbell of Fowler, five grandchildren, Rhonda (Mike) Koehn of Castle rock, Kim (Tim) Freeman of Nashville, Indiana, Chad and Trista Tuttle of Ellicott, Tracy Tuttle of Longmont, Lindsay (Eric) Jensen of Granada, seven great-grandchildren Emily Koehn, Mackenzie Freeman, Trey and Austin Jensen, Taylor Tuttle, and Iley and Landri Tuttle, and numerous in-laws, nieces ,nephews, and friends.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday, October 24, 2017 at the Sheridan Lake Bible Church in Sheridan Lake, Colorado with Pastor Ernie Lambright officiating.  Charlotte Woelk and Joann Harris provided the musical accompaniments with Burl Scherler and the Ladies Chorus providing the vocal selections.  Burial followed in the Towner Cemetery in Towner, CO.  Memorial contributions should be made to the Sheridan Lake Bible Church.  Friends and family can register online condolences and sign the guestbook at www.brownfuneraldirectors.com.  Visitation and funeral services were entrusted to the care of the Brown Funeral Home.