Submitted by: Dan Rich

Bernice Smith

Nov. 14, 1924 - Feb. 1, 1999

South Bend Tribune 2/4/1999

Ms. Bernice Smith, loving mother, grandmother and sister, 74, of Laurelwood Court, South Bend, Ind., passed away following a brief illness at 1:47 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 1, at the Saint Joseph's Regional Medical Center, South Bend. On Nov. 14, 1924, in Grenada, Miss., she was the second born of ten children to the union of John Leslie and Julia Celeste (Calhoun) Coffey, who both preceded her in death. She became a Christian early in life. She was also preceded in death by a sister, Evelyn McGaughy. In 1991 she retired after 23 years of service with the University of Illinois where she served as an elevator operator. She was a former member of the original Holy Arch Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, Ill. In 1996 she moved to South Bend, coming from Chicago. She was a member of the Faith Apostolic Temple Church where she served on the Mother's Board and senior choir. She was blessed to be the mother of five generations. She leaves to mourn her passing and cherish her loving memory two daughters, Geneva Williams and Julia Jefferies; two sons, Edward (Peggy) Smith, all of South Bend, and Clarence Green of Chicago; 20 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild; six sisters, Viola (John) Fleenoy and Lisa (Eugene) Hale, both of Chicago, Attibe (Bob) Davis and Laura Jackson, both of Toledo, Ohio, Doris (Bethel) Mailey of Washington, D.C., and Louise Harris of Minneapolis, Minn.; two brothers, John T. (Joyce) Coffey of South Bend and James (Earlene) Coffey of Robbins, Ill.; along with two aunts, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.