Berniece Elvera Thissell,102, a resident of Bethesda of Beresford in Beresford, SD, passed away on October 5, 2019.  The funeral service will be held at 1:30 PM, Friday, October 11, at Dalesburg Baptist Church.  Visitation will be held from 5:00-7:00PM, Thursday, October 10, at Wass Funeral Home in Beresford.  A private family burial will be held.

Berniece was born in rural Centerville, SD on July 18, 1917 to Ed and Martha Norman. She graduated from Beresford High School and worked at Norman Hardware in Beresford until her marriage to Donald Thissell on December 29th, 1942.  They operated a grocery store in Beresford until they began farming in Lincoln County and later in Clay County.  She also worked part time at Gambles in Beresford.

Berniece was involved in her church, living her faith from an early age.  She taught Sunday School and would sometimes write and direct the Sunday School Christmas programs.  She participated in the women's activities at Brooklyn Evangelical Church and later at Dalesburg Baptist.  She and Donald were a part of the Prison Fellowship ministry.  She loved to share her flowers by bringing bouquets to church on Sundays.  She was active until her health no longer permitted, and when she couldn't physically go to church, she found ministers on TV that she loved to listen to.  She always enjoyed going to Wednesday night Bible study, even though as her age caught up with her, she might sleep through some of it.  She welcomed visits from her pastor and the prayers they shared.

She enjoyed gardening…flowers being her favorite; sewing…patching was her specialty and many people benefited from her skills; reading…books, magazines and newspapers and doing the daily crossword puzzles, in ink!  She was also a longtime diary writer who could be counted on to settle disputes on the dates of when things happened in the family.  She and Donald loved to travel to visit friends and relatives across the country; always plotting the trips according to who they could stay with for an overnight.  They prided themselves on mixing friendship with frugality; on a month-long driving trip through Europe, they camped out in farmers' fields once they left the comfort of relatives' homes in Sweden.

Berniece's biggest joy was in being of service to her family.  She spent hours cooking favorites, writing newsy letters, playing games, and always a ready listener.  As her family expanded from children to grandchildren and then great grandchildren, her capacity for love expanded in measure.  She was the center of the family, the glue that holds us all together.

Berniece is lovingly remembered by her children; Nancy (Ed) Wick of Fort Collins, CO, Dan (Carol) Thissell of Centerville, SD, and Lois Fitzgerald of Batavia, IL;  Grandchildren David Wick, Thomas(Rocio) Wick, Kerri (Mitch) Latendresse,  Kelly (Thane) Trooien, Suzanne (Jared) Andersen, Timothy (Jennifer) Thissell, and Michael (Jaime) Fitzgerald; Great grandchildren; Haley and Dawson Wick, Bethany, Connor, Emily and Anna Latendresse, Makenzie, Andrew, Colton and Peyton Trooien, Derek, Ava and Adalyn Andersen, Avery and Chloe Fitzgerald; extended family and friends.

Berniece is preceded in death by Donald, her husband of sixty-one years, her parents and sisters Leona (Thor) Hovda, Maurine (Wesley) Fahlberg and Lorraine Norman.

Memorial donations may be made to the charity of your choice.

The family of Berniece Thissell wishes to thank the staff of Bethesda of Beresford for the loving care they have given

to our beloved Grandma B the last seven years.