Berneice B. Smith

Berneice Berdie Smith passed away July 9th, 2013, at the age of 77. She was surrounded by loving family at Journeycare Hospice in Woodstock, Illinois. Funeral services will be 2:00 pm Friday at Cunnick-Collins Mortuary. Burial will follow at Walcott Cemetery. Family will greet friends from 12-2:00 pm, Friday, July 11, at Cunnick-Collins Mortuary, Davenport.Berneice was born to Louis and Berdie Schaeffer in Davenport, Iowa, on January 30, 1936. She attended Davenport High School, and soon after married Gary Hacker on January 14, 1956, a union which produced five daughters. She later married her second husband,William Smith, in 1987. Berneice was employed most of her working life as a respiratory therapist at the former St. Luke’s Hospital in Davenport; but her most passionate work was that of raising her five daughters. A never ending source of love and support, Berneice’s loyalty and commitment to family fostered a tight bond among her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was happiest when surrounded by all of them, and as the host to countless family celebrations Berneice’s home was home to all.In her free time Berneice loved to paint, sew and garden. Her talent and patience were evident in all that she created. That so much love, passion, and strength could be packed into one little body was a marvel. She is survived by her five daughters: Jeri Timmerman, of Phoenix, Arizona; Vicki (Mrs. Geoff) Loving, of Bluegrass; Lori Loving, of Davenport; Tracie (Mrs. Walt) Hahn of Davenport; and Angie (Mrs. Lee) Miller, of St. Charles, Illinois; 11 grandchildren, 14 great-children; and her sister Eleanor Rohwedder. She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Berdie and Louis Scaeffer, her brother Bob Schaeffer, her husband William Smith, and her former husband Gary Hacker. Mom, Nana, and friend, you will be missed. All of our hearts are in you, and you are in all of our hearts.Online condolences may be expressed to Berneice’s family by visiting her obituary at www.cunnick-collins.comMemorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.