b. Dec. 23, 1920 Salt Lake City
d. Nov. 14, 2018 Cedar Hills Utah
On Nov. 14, 2018, Bernice Liska Naumann Kilgore passed away peacefully to join her loved ones on the other side.
Daughter of German immigrants, Bernice was born on Dec. 23, 1920, in SLC and lived nearly her whole life in the family home on Bryan Ave. After attending South High School, Bernice set her sights on college despite her parents’ objections. She attended classes at Westminster College without registration until the school realized and asked her to stop attending.
On Oct. 24, 1941, she married her junior high school sweetheart, Ed, in the Salt Lake temple. They were happily married for 68 years and had four sons that were the light of her life.
Bernice and Ed married just six weeks before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Her husband chose to serve in the Marine Corps because they gave him two extra weeks to spend with his new bride. While Ed served in the Pacific and Bernice was expecting their first child, she supported the war effort by inspecting 50 caliber machine gun bullets and as a switchboard operator with the phone company.
She was a devoted wife and mother and doted on her four sons, attending countless football, basketball, and baseball games to watch her sons play. She never missed a game, sometimes attending three in one day.
Her family will always remember her Christmas brunches, family home evenings with her grandchildren, ice cream parfaits, and her famous well-stocked candy cupboard. She loved to laugh, loved her family, and loved good chocolate, but most of all she loved her Savior and devoted her life to serving and loving others and always walking His covenant path.
Bernice was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as Relief Society President in the ward, stake and regional levels as well as several times as Primary President and teacher of her active sons’ classes. She was called to serve as an ordinance worker in the Salt Lake temple for two years and stayed for an extra 20, referring to that as among the best times in her life.
Bernice loved people and was unfailingly kind to everyone she met, taking a genuine interest in all those around her. She did countless acts of kindness for friends, neighbors and strangers anonymously. She exemplified a charitable life and spread warmth and love to all who were fortunate enough to cross her path.
Bernice was preceded in death by her loving husband, William E. Kilgore, parents Alfred Kurt Naumann and Anna Liska Knorr, sister Evelyn Isgitt, and great grandson Jacob Webb. She is survived by 4 sons, Ed Kilgore (Marsha), Tom (DeAnn), Jim, Mike (Judy), as well as 22 grandchildren, 74 great-grandchildren, and brother Alfred “Bud” Naumann.
A viewing will be held on Monday, Nov. 19 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary at 3401 S Highland Dr. in Salt Lake City and prior to services, beginning at 9:30 am and ending promptly at 10:30 am at the Sugar House Ward Chapel, 1621 S. 1100 East. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 11:00 am. Interment will be at Wasatch Lawn.
