BERNICE IRENE DE BOER? was born on February 26, 1909 in Pipestone, Minnesota. She was the middle child of 11 raised by Bernhard and Emma (Meyer) Naeve, who were both of German origin. She graduated from Pipestone High School. Bernice led a life of service to her family and community. When she was 18, she helped raise her 4 younger brothers when her mother died. Shortly later she cared for 2 young nephews and a niece during their mother?s long illness. She attended St. Cloud Teachers College, then returned to southern Minnesota to teach seventh and eighth grade in Adrian, Minnesota. Bernice married Gerrit Charles DeBoer on November 26, 1942 and they raised three children, Marilyn, Robert and Leslie, in Adrian where Gerritt owned a hardware store. Later she returned to teaching kindergarten for many years in Adrian Public School. Bernice was a member of the Adrian Methodist Church where she was active in the Ladies Aid and Sunday School activities. She will be remembered for her hard work. She taught by example how to focus and persist in the face of great difficulty, and to work diligently to achieve the best quality possible. Bernice and her husband, Gerrit, chose to completely renovate a nineteenth-century house in Adrian, which brought her great joy for many years. She frequently hosted extended family holiday dinners, and was an excellent cook who was known for her pies and wholesome American dishes. We also remember her appreciation of beauty, her love of learning and her long-lasting interest and curiosity in the world. She loved to travel and to read. She kept up with current events and voted at the age of 95. She was genuinely empathic for those in need, often quietly offering support and a helping hand. Bernice had a fun and creative side as well. She enjoyed a good laugh and was willing to be playful even in her last years. She loved to celebrate holidays and often thought up and carried out unique ideas and activities. She frequently encouraged creative play in her own children and in her students, even though it generated more work for her. She had a lifelong love of children especially expressed in her sincere enjoyment of both her students and her grandchildren. Bernice died at the Annandale Care Center in Annandale, Minnesota on September 17, 2006. She is lovingly remembered by her son, Robert and his wife, Kathy DeBoer; daughter Leslie and husband, Wayne Giese; and daughter Marilyn and husband, David Haddock; her granddaughters: Cara Giese Spainhour, Valeria Giese, Jesse DeBoer and Erin Haddock; as well as by three sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Gerrit, and all of her siblings. Blessed Be Her Memory.