Bernice Lorraine Lee

Bernice was born in Staples, Minnesota on August 1, 1912. She died at the Oswego Care Home in Lake Oswego, Oregon on March 21, 2013.

She was preceded in death by her husband Dr. Ernest T. Lee, her parents Claude & Mary Axtell, her sister, Bessie Axtell Frazier, her nephew Donald Urness, her daughter Lorraine Delborg Buth and one grandson, Kevin Buth.

Her daughter Marjorie Delborg Stockwell, grandsons, Bruce Stockwell, Michael Stockwell, David Buth (Beth) and granddaughter Lynn Marie Buth Macy (David), five great-grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren, a niece Mary Hodapp and a nephew, Lee Urness and several cousins survive her.

Mrs. Lee lived in Crosby, Minnesota most of her life and the last forty years she lived in Oregon to be closer to her daughter.

Bernice started working in 1929 at the Miners Hospital in Crosby, Minnesota. From 1944 to 1947, she was promoted to head nurse and x-ray technician for the doctors at Miners Hospital. Because Crosby was a mining community, the hospital was always very busy and she was on call 24 hours a day. Therefore, she lived at the hospital on the third floor. Her pay was room & board and $90.00 a month and was 12-hour shifts. Despite the long hard hours of work, Bernice was a dedicated nurse and loved her work. At the age of 35, she retired and married Dr. Lee and lived a long full life.

A memorial service will be held on April 3, 2013, at 2:30 p.m., at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 3228 SW Sunset Blvd. (On the corner of Sunset Blvd & Dosch Road) Portland, Oregon.

Bernice’s final resting place will be in Crosby, Minnesota on April 12, 2013.