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MEMORIALS$2006 YEARBOOK |
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| Bernadine George Elva Jane Perkins |
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Bernadine George June 19, 1920 – December 9, 2005 The legacy of Bernadine George was described by a close personal friend as Platteville’s Mother Teresa. To everyone who knew her – family, church and community, she truly was an energetic, tender, loving force, serving her Lord and Savior and others just as He has commanded each of us to do. This came to an earthly end on December 9, 2005 after a sudden and brief battle with advanced lung cancer. Though small in stature, she was a “giant” in her desire to serve the Lord right up until the Lord called her home to glory. As totally involved as she was, Bernadine was not one to sit around complaining, but graciously accepted responsibility when there was a task that needed to be done or when no one else was doing it. This was noticeably acknowledged after her passing by the oft-repeated comment, “well, that was something Bernadine always took care of.” Bernadine served on many committees within the church as well as volunteer service in the community. In 1999 she was the recipient of the Older Worker of the Year award in a ceremony in Lancaster, Wisconsin. After graduating from Platteville high School in 1938 and then attending Platteville State Teacher’s College, Bernadine taught Spanish in several southwest Wisconsin schools. She served as a missionary-teacher in Guatemala from 1945-1948. This experience gave her an intense love for missions, a passion she fervently promoted right up to the end of her life. She observed a regimen of letter-writing and emailing to missionaries and friends all over the world. How much this ministry was appreciated was evidenced by the fact that over 200 emails were found to have come to her during the two week illness prior to her death. As the mother of six children, Bernadine felt that nurturing them in the fear and admonition of the Lord was her greatest achievement in life. On December 12, 2005, a memorial service was held at Westview Methodist Church in Platteville to celebrate the life of Bernadine George. The theme of the service was “Celebrating the Life of a Virtuous Woman.” The service was attended by many who shared precious memories of how this great woman of faith impacted their lives. The testimonies given during that service by her children and grandchildren affirmed the truth of Proverbs 31:28: “Her children arise and call her blessed.” If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the LORD your God. 1 Samuel 12:14 NKJV God has chosen to speak to His people at different times in different ways. How he chooses to speak to us is often as revealing as what He has to say. In the case of Elva Jane, Our Lord chose her to speak for Him when she would have rather been silent. Born on August 20, 1918, Elva Jane entered a world quite different from the one she left on Sunday, July 11 2004. She began and ended her journey in Benton, WI. But the village she left was not the same as the one she had entered 86 years before. Many of those differences were related to how the Lord used her to remind us all that when we do His work, we should seek His will. And His will may be revealed through any and all the congregation’s members. In the verse above, the Hebrew word translated as commandment is literally the word mouth. In a time when the church didn’t always appreciate how the Lord spoke through whom He chose and not just through those the congregation preferred, Elva Jane reluctantly spoke up, the Church listened and realized it was not just Elva Jane speaking but it was the mouth of the Lord. Elva Jane served as the Church Treasurer, community Girl Scout leader and volunteer in so many ministries of the Church. But she may be best remembered as the reluctant Trustee Board member that saw what others missed and spoke up when she would have rather been silent because the Lord had chosen her. Her husband Clarence “Clary” Perkins, whom she married on December 31, 1943, preceded Elva Jane in death. She is survived by two daughters, Kay (Jerry, deceased) Daugherty, of Palatine, Illinois and Sharon (David) Driscoll, of Benton, Wisconsin; two sons, Tom (Linda) Perkins, of Clinton, Wisconsin and Fred (Deb) Perkins, of Zephyrhills, Florida; a brother, Gordon Palfrey, of Lancaster, Wisconsin; thirteen grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. She is also survived by a legacy of ministry and service to the Kingdom that is eternal. Submitted by, Pastor Nelson Perkinson |
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