Obituary of VELMA BERNEY

Our Mom, Velma Berney, was born Velma Marcella Kay on May 1, 1920 on a very special piece of land in Southern Minnesota that we refer to as "the farm." It's a very special place for us because it produced a very special mother. Mom stayed on the "the farm" until a chance meeting at a dry cleaner, where our mom worked, of a charismatic young man, John Berney, that soon would become our Dad. Mom and Dad were married in 1941, but before our Dad went off to win the war in Europe, he left Mom with something to do and that was taking care of their first born, Bonnie Berney. After Dad returned in 1945 he went right back to work where he left off. Between the two of them, four additional trouble makers came into the world: Kevin and Kerry (twins), Dennis and Rhonda. Mom and Dad set up shop in California and for the most part that's where they stayed until our Dad's passing in 1986. Mom stuck it out on the west coast until 1995 when she moved to Sapulpa, Oklahoma to be near Bonnie. Dennis and Rhonda eventually followed while Kevin stayed in California and Kerry settled in Colorado. Time went on which produced six grandchildren and six great grandchildren. As we grew older, it became apparent that with Mom, it was all about family and kids. Nothing made her happier than to be rustlin' up some grub for her hungry brood around the campfire at Huntington Lake, Mom's home away from home. "The more the merrier" it was with Mom, but still she found time to jump a fishing boat and go searchin' for the "the big one." This scared her though because she couldn't swim. That's right, someone born in the land of a ten thousand lakes and she couldn't swim a lick. We'd get her all geared up with a floatation device and off she'd go to shortly thereafter mutter the words, "I got a strike." Then with a slow pull of the rod another trout would be in the boat. She really enjoyed sitting around the campfire at night telling tells about the big one that got away. What beautiful blue eyes she had and how the campfire danced across her happy face, she was with her family. Mom was truly an outside girl. Maybe it has something to do with being born on a farm but she was never happier than when she had the sun in her face and the wind at her back. Our Dad was a handyman but Mom came in a close second. Mom would drag us along to the middle of nowhere to gather rocks for the swimming pool and rock waterfall she had built in our back yard at our home in Northridge, California. Yards of concrete she mixed up in a wagon to produce a beautiful playground for us. Again, it was about making us happyher family. She also enjoyed the three feet deep pool only if we put her in a regular tire inner tube. No splashing. We didn't have a lot of money growing up, but by looking at pictures you see today, you see a teacher of what life is really about. We certainly could have never become the people we are today without her lessons in loving what God has created for us. We appreciated the wonderful childhood you gave us and can never thank you enough for being our Mom. Someday we'll be together again. Take it easy on Dad up there you've got a lot of catchin' up to do. Alzheimer's took you from us but you'll always be in our hearts.