Bernice Wilmet Williams

She attended high school in Milwaukee, graduating valedictorian and being awarded three college scholarships. She attended the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

For a short time, Bernice worked at Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, and then at the Milwaukee Police Department as a court reporter. This being the era of World War II, her four younger brothers were in different branches of the military service, and Bernice also wished to be a part of the war effort. In 1943, when the Marine Corps opened their ranks to women, she and two of her friends took the train to Chicago to enlist, as Milwaukee did not have a recruiting station open at that time.

After finishing boot camp at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Bernice was in the first contingent of women Marines sent to the West Coast and assigned to duty at Camp Elliott near San Diego, and then to Camp Pendleton at Oceanside, California, where she served as secretary to several Colonels and to the Commanding General. It was at Camp Pendleton that she met her future husband, S. Preston Williams, a Marine who had just returned from a tour of duty in the South Pacific. After both received their honorable discharges in December of 1945, they were married on January 26, 1946, at St. Sebastian’s Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and moved to North Kansas City, Missouri, Preston’s home town, to start their married life.

While Preston finished college and Law School, Bernice worked for the Ethyl Corp. in North Kansas City, and they started their family. She enjoyed being involved in various activities and was a member of St. Patrick’s Altar Society and served as PTA president for several years. With her husband, they co-chaired the Catholic Education Fund for the school, and were active participants in all parish events for over 60 years. She was an avid supporter of her husband’s legal and civic career, and they had enjoyed 66 years of marriage before his death in 2012.

Bernice enjoyed traveling all over the world with her husband. She was a painter in oils, acrylic and china and loved entertaining family and friends. She welcomed their sons’ friends, and she and Preston attended track meets, football games and other athletic activities in which they were involved.

In addition to family and faith, another of her loves was the game of golf. For ten years they had a winter home on a golf course in Palm Desert, CA. Bernice played in tournaments in Arizona, California, Colorado and Texas, as well as local and state tournaments. She was President of the former Mirror Lake Ladies Golf, of the Indian Hills Ladies Golf, the Women’s Golf Assn. of Kansas City, a former club champion at Liberty Hills Country Club and had three holes- in- one. She was instrumental in the formation of the Ladies Golf Association at The National Golf and Country Club of Kansas City and continued to support them after she stopped playing the game.

She was a charter, founding member and past present of the Kansas City Symphony Guild; charger member of Friends of Park University and chair of their Founders’ Day Dinner in 1998 and 1999; a former member of the Kansas City Municipal Art Commission (1981-1992) appointed by Mayor Richard Berkley, during which time the 1% for Art was introduced which designed and financed installations at the Municipal Airport, police stations, and the sky Stations atop Bartle Hall. She was the recipient of the Mary Moore Service Award from North Kansas City Hospital; trustee and vice-president of the Northland Community Foundation; committee member for the Clay County Veterans Memorial and Northland Fountain; recipient of the Anne Robb Townsend, “Tribute to Excellence” civic award; Honoree-United Cerebral Palsy “Hats Off to Mothers”- 2007; co-chair of St. Luke’s Hospital Northland Golf Tournament; member of the North Kansas City Hospital Auxiliary; 40-year member of the Ladies of Charity, Seton Center; a member of PEO Chapter JK; North Kansas City Historical Society; and a charter member of the Women in Military Service for America in Washington, D.C.

On October 6, 2015, Bernice, accompanied by son Mark, was a member of the Heartland Veteran’s Honor Flight on a one-day trip to Washington, D.C. to view the war memorials. She was the 1st Woman Marine on the Honor Flight to assist in the laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery – an honor of which she was immensely proud.

Bernice was preceded in death by her husband, S. Preston Williams; son Timothy Michael, infant children, Mary Colleen and Patrick James; brothers Robert, Joseph, Eugene and Richard, brother-in-law Van Williams, Myra Williams and daughter-in-law Lisa Williams.

Survivors include son, Mark, of Lawson, MO; grandchildren Justin Williams (Amy); Carra Jane Williams, Connor Williams, Melissa and Rocky; great grandchildren, Preston Allen Williams, Cole Patrick Williams, daughter-in-law Cara Williams; sister-in-law, Eleanor Hargarten; Nephews, Robert Hargarten (Janet) and Bruce Hargarten (Beth) numerous great nieces and nephews, and “adopted” daughter, Mary Ann Litras.

A visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 1st, from 9:00 to 11:00 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church 1357 NE 42nd Terr., Kansas City, MO., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00.

In lieu of flowers, Bernice has requested donations to the S. Preston and Bernice Williams Education Fund at St. Patrick’s elementary school, The Kansas City Symphony Guild, or a charity of your choice.

***To watch on Facebook, just go to the St. Patrick Catholic Church Facebook page. Search for St. Patrick Catholic Church exactly like you would type an envelope, with the capital letters and the period behind St. The picture that pops up is the Crucifix with the purple Lent material on it. (That material is actually a piece of art fabric donated to us by Bernice and Preston). When we go live the live stream will pop as a new post.