Mona Berneil Richards

She graduated from McIntosh High School in 1934 where she was editor of their yearbook. In 1935, her family moved to Molalla, OR. Mona stayed behind because she had a job at the courthouse in McIntosh and jobs were scarce during the depression. She followed her family out about a year later. From Molalla, they all moved to Woodland, WA before settling in Portland.

Mona went to Behnke Walker business school, which helped her land a job with the Pontiac Division of General Motors. After four years there, she got a job at Barnes General Hospital in Vancouver, WA, then moved to Seattle and worked for DuPont. When World War II started, Pontiac lured her back to Portland where she rose from office assistant to executive secretary to the zone manager(s).

She retired in 1974, after working a total of 36 years with General Motors. Many of these years were also spent caring for her aging mother and invalid brother, H.C. It was now a full time job and Mona was a dedicated, compassionate caregiver until 1988 when her brother died two years after their mother.

Mona was a social gal and made many close friendships over the years and ventured back to South Dakota for several milestone class reunions. Even though she never married, what a very special aunt she was to her nieces and nephews on whom she doted. She would take them to the latest movie in her new Pontiac and make many special excursions around Portland because she knew the city like the back of her hand. From cruising around with Grandma and Uncle H.C. in the back seat to see the Christmas lights to just stopping for an ice cream cone, she always made time for them.

Mona loved to dance, play bridge, have lunch at Albertina Kerr or Tebo's and was a faithful member of a bridge sorority. She always seemed to be dressed impeccably in the latest fashions. At home, her red candy dish was a constant temptation on the coffee table and a special treat was Aunt Mona’s famous fudge.

Mona moved to Courtyard Plaza in 2002 when macular degeneration left her legally blind and she could no longer drive her beloved GM automobile. It was there that she fell and broke her hip on January 2, 2011, and her health steadily deteriorated.

She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Mercedes, brothers Carl and Harry Carlton Jr.

Mona is survived by her sister, Hazel Mae Merz of Kalama, WA, 8 nieces and 8 nephews and their children and numerous cousins and good friends.

There will be a Rosary Service on Tues, May 31st at 7:30pm at Lincoln Memorial Park Chapel, 11801 SE Mt. Scott Blvd, Portland, OR. A funeral Mass will be held at 11:00am, Wed, June 01, 2011, at Ascension Catholic Church, 7507 SE Yamhill St, Portland, OR, followed by interment at Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery.

Please sign/view the guestbook at www.lincolnmemorialpk.com.