Bernice Johnson

She was born on June 5, 1934 in Wausaukee, Wisconsin to the late Harry and Dorothy (Wartick) Hardin. Benice was baptized as one of Jehovah Witnesses in 1947. She graduated from Wausaukee High School in 1952 as the class valedictorian. Bernice met Carl H. Johnson while at a convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and they were married on October 16, 1954. They lived for a short time in Marquette before moving to Munising in 1960, and shortly after the move they had their only child Wayne. It was in Munising that they raised their son, and where they started the local congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Carl and Bernice were integral in the building of the Kingdom Hall on Connors Road. Bernice was a homemaker who loved to work in her gardens with Carl. She grew many vegetables that she canned and saved for the year, and she especially liked landscaping and flower gardening. She would often be found hauling rocks for stone paths, custom ponds and weeping walls that made a beautiful setting for the yearly Garden Club tours. She also enjoyed going through and keeping very detailed records of genealogy about her ancestors, especially the Hardins, who were original settlers of Kentucky (Hardin County). Bernice was also talented in her crafting abilities, quilting, crocheting, sewing, and many other works of art. She had the privilege of being able to live with her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters for many years and was viewed as a mother figure by all.

Bernice is survived by her husband of seventy years Carl Johnson of Munising, son and daughter-in-law Wayne and Laura Johnson of Munising, granddaughters Natalie (Mark) Malinowski and Morgan (Ryan) Miller, great-grandson Martin Malinowski, all of Munising. Her sister Beverly Jahnke of Wausaukee, WI, brother Albert (Bev) Hardin of Negaunee, MI, and nieces and nephews.

Bernice was preceded in death by her parents Harry and Dorothy, brother Verlyn Hardin, and brother-in-law Bob Jahnke.

A memorial service, both in-person and virtual, featuring her Bible-based hope of the resurrection will be held 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 29th at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses located at N6888 Connors Rd. in Munising. There will be visiting time from 2:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. Bernice’s obituary and online guestbook may be viewed and signed at bowermanfuneralhome.net.