Bernice Pinkerton

Bernice Joan Pinkerton, of Colona, graced this earth first on July 3, 1917, 96 years ago. She came by way of La Harp, Kan., brought to Earth by the auspices of our Lord and Earl and Elvira Gullet. Bernice and her twin sister, Barbra, came to our city circa 1936 by hitchhiking from La Harp to find employment and landing in East Moline, where she immediately met, and after a decent amount of time, fell in love with and married local boy Allen Don Pinkerton, of East Moline. They danced their way through life for 72 happy years; along the way they brought along two sons, Gayle Allen and Gary Lynn, and one daughter, Vicky Jean. Sadly the Lord decided that he needed Vicky Jean with him after only a short stay with us. She went home after only 12 years with us. Allen met his lifelong goal of going home with his Lord on July 9, 2009. Allen and Bernice were both engineers: Allen the locomotive kind with the C.R.I.&P. (the Rock Island Lines), and Bernice a top notch domestic engineer, raising her family with wisdom and grace. Both were lifelong members of the Lutheran Church Missouri synod, first with St. John's Lutheran Church in East Moline, and later they were instrumental in organizing the mission church, Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, in Colona. Gayle and his wife, Alice, blessed "Bea" and "Pinky" with three grandchildren, Duane, Douglas and Teresa. Gary and his first wife, Pauline, blessed them with two grandchildren, Rene' and Rusty. From these beginnings came many great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. Preceding Bernice in going to their Heavenly rewards were her dear husband, Allen ("Pinky"); her parents, Earl and Elvira; her only daughter, Vick Jean; her sisters, Barbra Rumberg, Dorothy Brian and Martha Heflin; and Gayle's wife, Alice. Staying behind are sons, Gayle and Gary, and Gary's wife and love, Christy, and many, too numerous to mention, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and many dear friends and neighbors. Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Schroder Mortuary in Colona, with visitation one hour before service time. Burial will be at Greenview Memorial Gardens in East Moline. Memorials may be made to Davenport Lutheran Home.