Bernard "Bernie" Davis
April 30, 1943 ~ November 6, 2020 (age 77)
Bernard “Bernie” Davis, 77 of Harbor Springs, passed away Friday, November 6, 2020.
Bernie was born on April 30, 1943, to Caroline Niswander and Orville Davis. He grew up on State Road in Harbor Springs, where he started his education at home and learned many traits such as butchering, horsemanship and logging, milling wood, growing their own food, canning, and doing everything in the evening by the light of a kerosene lamp. He attended school at Holy Childhood where he, Frank Lauer, and Tom Smith were well known as ‘the three rebels’. Bernie was a man of few words. He met Merilee Babcock, married at 25 and later divorced. He was a hard worker, who always made sure his family, friends and neighbors were taken care of and never asked for a penny in return.
In the spring Bernie enjoyed making syrup with his friends Maureen Parson and Cynthia Magdowski. When summer rolled around, he enjoyed spending his time with Mike Peterson and the Peterson family doing hay. He dabbled in his garden and spent a lot of time at his family home in his later years where he had what he called ‘tailgate parties’ with his grandson, Christian. Come fall he liked to hunt. He was always so happy to listen to his granddaughters, Courtney and Hailey’s stories about the bucks they bagged and playing in the small pond where he built the girls a small bridge. Fall mornings after his hunt, he’d head to deer camp where he always cooked breakfast. Fall evenings were spent sitting around the woodstove where he told stories to the MacGregor boys, cracked open an Old Milwaukee and rolled his cigarettes for the next day. Bernie worked in his younger years for Control Engineering driving truck. Later he worked for Richard “Dick” Bidstrup where he plowed the airport runways in the winter, worked the sawmill, and then later became a land surveyor. Even after Bidstrup Engineering turned into Benchmark Engineering, he worked with his “work family” whom he adored, until even after he retired. Bernie was always happy to lend a hand in the butcher shop and always joked that he only cooked because he liked to eat.
Bernie was a member of Sons of the American Legion where many laughs were had with his friends. He also volunteered his time at the Good Hart mini fair working the grill. He was a volunteer fireman for Redmond/Friendship/Cross Village Fire and Rescue for many years.
Bernie is survived by his children, James Finley, Scott (Barbie) Davis and Orville (Pam) Davis; grandchildren, Justin Swadling, Claire Swadling, Kayla Swadling, Courtney Davis, Hailey Davis and Christian Davis; brother Joe Davis, and sisters, Joyce (Irv) Sturm and Joan (Paul) Alker.
He is preceded in death by his daughter, Valerie Dodge; sister-in-law, Sharon Davis; and his parents, Caroline and Orville Davis.
The family will be having a Memorial Mass at Holy Childhood Catholic Church on Saturday, November 14, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. with a one hour visitation prior to Mass. Father James Bearss will officiate. A reception will be held after at the American Legion in Harbor Springs.
Charitable donations in Bernie’s memory are asked to please be directed to any of the following: Redmond/Friendship/Cross Village (RFC) Fire and Rescue, Holy Childhood Catholic Church, The American Legion post #281, and Hospice of Michigan.
April 30, 1943 ~ November 6, 2020 (age 77)
Bernard “Bernie” Davis, 77 of Harbor Springs, passed away Friday, November 6, 2020.
Bernie was born on April 30, 1943, to Caroline Niswander and Orville Davis. He grew up on State Road in Harbor Springs, where he started his education at home and learned many traits such as butchering, horsemanship and logging, milling wood, growing their own food, canning, and doing everything in the evening by the light of a kerosene lamp. He attended school at Holy Childhood where he, Frank Lauer, and Tom Smith were well known as ‘the three rebels’. Bernie was a man of few words. He met Merilee Babcock, married at 25 and later divorced. He was a hard worker, who always made sure his family, friends and neighbors were taken care of and never asked for a penny in return.
In the spring Bernie enjoyed making syrup with his friends Maureen Parson and Cynthia Magdowski. When summer rolled around, he enjoyed spending his time with Mike Peterson and the Peterson family doing hay. He dabbled in his garden and spent a lot of time at his family home in his later years where he had what he called ‘tailgate parties’ with his grandson, Christian. Come fall he liked to hunt. He was always so happy to listen to his granddaughters, Courtney and Hailey’s stories about the bucks they bagged and playing in the small pond where he built the girls a small bridge. Fall mornings after his hunt, he’d head to deer camp where he always cooked breakfast. Fall evenings were spent sitting around the woodstove where he told stories to the MacGregor boys, cracked open an Old Milwaukee and rolled his cigarettes for the next day. Bernie worked in his younger years for Control Engineering driving truck. Later he worked for Richard “Dick” Bidstrup where he plowed the airport runways in the winter, worked the sawmill, and then later became a land surveyor. Even after Bidstrup Engineering turned into Benchmark Engineering, he worked with his “work family” whom he adored, until even after he retired. Bernie was always happy to lend a hand in the butcher shop and always joked that he only cooked because he liked to eat.
Bernie was a member of Sons of the American Legion where many laughs were had with his friends. He also volunteered his time at the Good Hart mini fair working the grill. He was a volunteer fireman for Redmond/Friendship/Cross Village Fire and Rescue for many years.
Bernie is survived by his children, James Finley, Scott (Barbie) Davis and Orville (Pam) Davis; grandchildren, Justin Swadling, Claire Swadling, Kayla Swadling, Courtney Davis, Hailey Davis and Christian Davis; brother Joe Davis, and sisters, Joyce (Irv) Sturm and Joan (Paul) Alker.
He is preceded in death by his daughter, Valerie Dodge; sister-in-law, Sharon Davis; and his parents, Caroline and Orville Davis.
The family will be having a Memorial Mass at Holy Childhood Catholic Church on Saturday, November 14, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. with a one hour visitation prior to Mass. Father James Bearss will officiate. A reception will be held after at the American Legion in Harbor Springs.
Charitable donations in Bernie’s memory are asked to please be directed to any of the following: Redmond/Friendship/Cross Village (RFC) Fire and Rescue, Holy Childhood Catholic Church, The American Legion post #281, and Hospice of Michigan.
Bernard "Bernie" Davis
April 30, 1943 ~ November 6, 2020 (age 77)
Bernard “Bernie” Davis, 77 of Harbor Springs, passed away Friday, November 6, 2020.
Bernie was born on April 30, 1943, to Caroline Niswander and Orville Davis. He grew up on State Road in Harbor Springs, where he started his education at home and learned many traits such as butchering, horsemanship and logging, milling wood, growing their own food, canning, and doing everything in the evening by the light of a kerosene lamp. He attended school at Holy Childhood where he, Frank Lauer, and Tom Smith were well known as ‘the three rebels’. Bernie was a man of few words. He met Merilee Babcock, married at 25 and later divorced. He was a hard worker, who always made sure his family, friends and neighbors were taken care of and never asked for a penny in return.
In the spring Bernie enjoyed making syrup with his friends Maureen Parson and Cynthia Magdowski. When summer rolled around, he enjoyed spending his time with Mike Peterson and the Peterson family doing hay. He dabbled in his garden and spent a lot of time at his family home in his later years where he had what he called ‘tailgate parties’ with his grandson, Christian. Come fall he liked to hunt. He was always so happy to listen to his granddaughters, Courtney and Hailey’s stories about the bucks they bagged and playing in the small pond where he built the girls a small bridge. Fall mornings after his hunt, he’d head to deer camp where he always cooked breakfast. Fall evenings were spent sitting around the woodstove where he told stories to the MacGregor boys, cracked open an Old Milwaukee and rolled his cigarettes for the next day. Bernie worked in his younger years for Control Engineering driving truck. Later he worked for Richard “Dick” Bidstrup where he plowed the airport runways in the winter, worked the sawmill, and then later became a land surveyor. Even after Bidstrup Engineering turned into Benchmark Engineering, he worked with his “work family” whom he adored, until even after he retired. Bernie was always happy to lend a hand in the butcher shop and always joked that he only cooked because he liked to eat.
Bernie was a member of Sons of the American Legion where many laughs were had with his friends. He also volunteered his time at the Good Hart mini fair working the grill. He was a volunteer fireman for Redmond/Friendship/Cross Village Fire and Rescue for many years.
Bernie is survived by his children, James Finley, Scott (Barbie) Davis and Orville (Pam) Davis; grandchildren, Justin Swadling, Claire Swadling, Kayla Swadling, Courtney Davis, Hailey Davis and Christian Davis; brother Joe Davis, and sisters, Joyce (Irv) Sturm and Joan (Paul) Alker.
He is preceded in death by his daughter, Valerie Dodge; sister-in-law, Sharon Davis; and his parents, Caroline and Orville Davis.
The family will be having a Memorial Mass at Holy Childhood Catholic Church on Saturday, November 14, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. with a one hour visitation prior to Mass. Father James Bearss will officiate. A reception will be held after at the American Legion in Harbor Springs.
Charitable donations in Bernie’s memory are asked to please be directed to any of the following: Redmond/Friendship/Cross Village (RFC) Fire and Rescue, Holy Childhood Catholic Church, The American Legion post #281, and Hospice of Michigan.
April 30, 1943 ~ November 6, 2020 (age 77)
Bernard “Bernie” Davis, 77 of Harbor Springs, passed away Friday, November 6, 2020.
Bernie was born on April 30, 1943, to Caroline Niswander and Orville Davis. He grew up on State Road in Harbor Springs, where he started his education at home and learned many traits such as butchering, horsemanship and logging, milling wood, growing their own food, canning, and doing everything in the evening by the light of a kerosene lamp. He attended school at Holy Childhood where he, Frank Lauer, and Tom Smith were well known as ‘the three rebels’. Bernie was a man of few words. He met Merilee Babcock, married at 25 and later divorced. He was a hard worker, who always made sure his family, friends and neighbors were taken care of and never asked for a penny in return.
In the spring Bernie enjoyed making syrup with his friends Maureen Parson and Cynthia Magdowski. When summer rolled around, he enjoyed spending his time with Mike Peterson and the Peterson family doing hay. He dabbled in his garden and spent a lot of time at his family home in his later years where he had what he called ‘tailgate parties’ with his grandson, Christian. Come fall he liked to hunt. He was always so happy to listen to his granddaughters, Courtney and Hailey’s stories about the bucks they bagged and playing in the small pond where he built the girls a small bridge. Fall mornings after his hunt, he’d head to deer camp where he always cooked breakfast. Fall evenings were spent sitting around the woodstove where he told stories to the MacGregor boys, cracked open an Old Milwaukee and rolled his cigarettes for the next day. Bernie worked in his younger years for Control Engineering driving truck. Later he worked for Richard “Dick” Bidstrup where he plowed the airport runways in the winter, worked the sawmill, and then later became a land surveyor. Even after Bidstrup Engineering turned into Benchmark Engineering, he worked with his “work family” whom he adored, until even after he retired. Bernie was always happy to lend a hand in the butcher shop and always joked that he only cooked because he liked to eat.
Bernie was a member of Sons of the American Legion where many laughs were had with his friends. He also volunteered his time at the Good Hart mini fair working the grill. He was a volunteer fireman for Redmond/Friendship/Cross Village Fire and Rescue for many years.
Bernie is survived by his children, James Finley, Scott (Barbie) Davis and Orville (Pam) Davis; grandchildren, Justin Swadling, Claire Swadling, Kayla Swadling, Courtney Davis, Hailey Davis and Christian Davis; brother Joe Davis, and sisters, Joyce (Irv) Sturm and Joan (Paul) Alker.
He is preceded in death by his daughter, Valerie Dodge; sister-in-law, Sharon Davis; and his parents, Caroline and Orville Davis.
The family will be having a Memorial Mass at Holy Childhood Catholic Church on Saturday, November 14, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. with a one hour visitation prior to Mass. Father James Bearss will officiate. A reception will be held after at the American Legion in Harbor Springs.
Charitable donations in Bernie’s memory are asked to please be directed to any of the following: Redmond/Friendship/Cross Village (RFC) Fire and Rescue, Holy Childhood Catholic Church, The American Legion post #281, and Hospice of Michigan.
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