Bernice Vivian Abrahamzon passed into eternal life, January 25, 2012, at the age of 91 years and 4 days. Bernice was born January 21, 1921, at 1015 Madison Street, a home that the Kreitz family had built in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. She was the daughter of Goldie Laura (Hovey) and Paul Kreitz, and was an only child. Her father had been apprenticed to become a gardener. Bernice and parents lived on the Wacker estate, of Wacker Drive fame, and on the Zimmerman estate, Snug Harbor. Both of these estates were in suburban Chicago. His mentor was a man affectionately known as Uncle Bob McBride. In 1929 Bernice's father accepted a position as head gardener at the estates of Green Tree and Broadoaks near Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Paul Kreitz worked there for 39 years. Bernice attended Summit grade school, receiving an eighth graduation diploma, on real sheepskin. Bernice then attended a graduated from Oconomowoc High School in 1939. Bernice graduated from Milwaukee Downer College in 1943. Her college experiences and education was a life-long influence in her life. She also completed on semester of graduate work at Carrol College at Waukesha, Wisconsin. At various times, besides caring for her ailing mother, Bernice worked for Carnation Milk Company, a local Sanatoriam, and a Lonely Hearts company. She corresponded with her future husband Kenneth Lorn Abrahamzon for 3 years before they met. They were married March 4, 1945, at Oconomowoc, while Kenneth was still on active duty as a Marine Corps Ariator. They lived at Bunker Hill and Peru, Indiana, as WWII came to an end. Bernice and Kenneth returned to his home town of Superior, Wisconsin, so he could complete his college education. Kenneth accepted a teaching position at Ashland, Wisconsin. Bernice also taught there, teaching High School literature. They moved to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, for one year, where Kenneth was technical director for Sheyboygan Community Players, a professional theatre company. Bernice, Kenneth and boys moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, where Ken taught and directed plays at the Hihle Theatre on the campus of Macalester College. They lived on campus in facility barracks. They relocated to North St. Paul, Minnesota where Ken taught at North High for 15 years. In 1956 they moved to Lewis, just for the summer to be near Ken's parents who had retired there. They rented a small house for 30 dollars a month from Alice and Gust Saros. In 1959 they bought a small farm, south of Lewis, and never moved again. Both Bernice and Ken became active in the Methodist Church in Lewis, which became life-long commitments. Eventually Bernice became employed by the Inter-County Leader, first the bindery, ending at age 72 as proof-reader. Bernice wrote the Lewis news for more than 30 years and the "Do You Remember" feature. She wrote a weekly colomn "Behind the Sign Post" for many, actually unknown number of years, it could be as many as forty. Bernice authored three books, was a charter member of the North West Regional Writers club and Indianhead Gem and Mineral Society. In fact she was the last charter member of both those organizations. She wrote many, many articles and was published in several newspapers and journals. Bernice was preceded in death by her parents, infant brother, Kenneth, husband for 41 years, all of her aunts, uncles and cousins. In a way she was the last leaf on the tree.

She is survived by her three sons, Drew Eric, Timothy Kirk, Tod Marshall, friend Sheila Staples, who she considered a daughter or daughter-in-law, by some nieces and nephews, by members of clubs and organizations she belonged to, her church community, by friends and readers of her writing, most of whom she didn't know by name but loved never-the-less. We will mourn our loss at her passing and cherish her memory.

Funeral Services for Bernice were held on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at Lewis United Memorial Methodist Church, with internment in the Abrahamzon Plot in the Old Hawthorne Cemetery, rural Douglas County, Wisconsin.