Bernice Bertha Price

Bernice Bertha Price, 98, passed away peacefully Saturday, March 5, 2022 in Sunnyside Health Care in Cloquet. Bernice was born on December 21, 1923 in Ely, MN where she was the fourth of seven children born to Matt and Bertha Korpi. Born a premature baby, she was baptized immediately, placed in a shoebox, and named after her mother as they thought she would not survive, but she stayed with us for 98 years. She attended Ely Public School and later earned an associate degree from Ely Junior College of which she was very proud. She moved to Duluth to work with an attorney and then St. Louis County, also holding an evening job at Bagleys. When she moved to Cloquet she worked at 1st National Bank, ISD 94, and Fond du Lac Business Planning Dept from where she retired. Bernice met her husband Felix in Duluth and they were married in the former St. Casimirs Church rectory on October 4, 1947. Bernice was a devoted daughter, mother, and grandmother. She made a point to help her own mother, when she could, so she could also attend the family events of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Bernice had a God given gift of a beautiful singing voice, which she shared over the years as a soloist for weddings and funeral with good friend and organ accompanist Amy Schoen. Once in Sunnyside Health Care she could always be heard among the residents singing with her beautiful voice. She was known there as “Sweet Bernice”. She loved taking family vacations with her husband Felix and son Kent. Once a year they went to Burley’s Resort on White Iron Lake. In later years, after Felix’s passing, she would go on bus trips with friends visiting the east and west coast area’s of the United States. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Felix; brothers, Kenneth and Hugh (Aila); sisters, Violet Tuomala, Elsie Maki, and Myrtle Ann “Honey” Billick. Bernice will be missed by her son, Kent (Vickie); grandchildren, Mandy, Travis (Harmoni), Stacey (Matt), Kent (Jenny), Tamara, and Cody (Whitney); great grandchildren, Kayle, Luke, Greta, Mason, Milania, Mikko, Jack, Gemma and “Elliot Felix”; sister, Lillian Forcier of Apios; sister-in-law, Anne Korpi of Minneapolis; brother-in-law, Kenneth Billick of Waterloo, IA; and many nieces, nephews and friends. The family would like to thank Sunnyside Health Care and Dr. Kenneth Ripp for helping with her stay. Visitation: 10:00 a.m. until the 11:00 a.m. funeral service on Friday, March 11, 2022 in Atkins Northland Funeral Home, 801 14th Street, Cloquet. Burial will be in New Calvary Cemetery in Cloquet. A luncheon will follow the service in the fireside room of the funeral home. To sign the guest book and leave an online tribute see, www.atkinsnorthlandfuneralhome.