Bertha Mae Brizendine, 79, of Merced, California, passed away peacefully to Heaven on August 9 2025 at her home, attended by her loving family. A beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Bertha will be remembered as a kind and loving soul and a faithful servant of God and her memory will be cherished forever by her family and friends.
Born on May 31 1946 in Fowler, California, Bertha grew up as the eldest of the ten children of John and Ella Adams. Raised for most of her youth in Tieton, Yakima County, Washington she eventually made her way to Merced in 1965 where she met her future husband Harvel Brizendine at Michael’s Drive-In where she worked as a waitress. After a short courtship of three weeks they married on October 31 1965 at the Pentecostal Church of God in Merced. They celebrated 54 years of loving marriage until her husband’s passing in the spring of 2020. Bertha was the mother of five loving children who she gave her love, inspiration, advice, prayers and support to throughout their lives. She loved her children and grandchildren and always kept them close to her heart and mind. Bertha was a loyal and faithful member of the Gospel Defenders Church in Merced since 1979 where she enjoyed services and considered members of the congregation as her second family. Bertha was a tax preparer for 30 years running her own home business. She was always kind to family and strangers both and treated everyone she met with a smile and courtesy. She will be greatly missed by many.
Bertha is survived by her three loving daughters, Norma Chabrouillaud of Visalia, California; Sherry Brizendine of Merced; Lynda Normandeau of San Antonio, Texas; and her only son Timothy Brizendine of Merced; her loving son-in-laws: Ted Chabrouillaud of Visalia, California and Brad Normandeau of San Antonio, Texas. Her seven precious grandchildren: Taylor, Tyler, Kassandra (K.C.), Catherine, Robert, Nicholas and Rebecca and great-grand daughters Luna and Emilia; her sisters Elizabeth Brown of Pennsylvania, Mary Vickery of Stockton, California, Ella L. Lombard of Merced, Linda Penner of Chico, California, and Gloria Warren of West Virginia, and her brother John C. Adams of Washington, and many cousins, nieces and nephews and in-laws. She is preceded in death by her loving husband Harvel Brizendine and her cherished infant daughter Rebecka Ellen Brizendine who passed to heaven in 1973; her parents John and Ella Adams, her brothers Gene W. Adams of Massachusetts and James B. Adams of Merced and her sister Bonnie Roach of Merced.
A service of remembrance for Bertha will be held at Stratford and Evans Funeral Home on Wednesday, August 27 at Stratford and Evans Funeral Home. A graveside internment will be at Merced Cemetery afterwards.
