Bernice passed away on April 1, 2012 at the Shenandoah Medical Center.

Bernice Irene (Rice) Nye was born on December 23, 1911 in Lebanon, Kansas. She died at home on April 1, 2012. Bernice was 100 years old. She was the daughter of Sidney Charles Rice and Della Hester (Upp) Rice, and the oldest of eleven brothers and sisters.

Bernice spent her childhood in Lebanon, Kansas. She graduated from the Lebanon High School in 1932. After high school, Bernice worked as a housekeeper for a short time before moving to Shenandoah, Iowa to help her aunt, Helen Upp, who was about to have a baby. She also worked as a housekeeper for a local doctor.

While living in Shenandoah, Bernice met Norvin Nye. They were married on June 28, 1939 in Rock Port, Missouri and moved to a farm near Shenandoah. Bernice and Norvin spent most of their married life on the Nye Family farm, a Century Farm, in rural Page County. Bernice took great pride in her work as a homemaker. Their daughter, Juneil Kay (Nye) Gibson was born on March 8, 1948.

Bernice was active in local clubs, including the Beacon Club and the Domestic Science (DS) Club. She was a 4-H leader, and helped her daughter and granddaughters with many 4-H projects over the years. Bernice was active in the Shenandoah Methodist Church, and cared for children in the church nursery. She had several hobbies, including stamp collecting, crocheting, sewing, cooking, gardening, and card making. Her favorite activity was spending time with family.

Bernice was preceded in death by her husband, Norvin Nye, who died in 1999, her parents, and siblings Thelma Rice Dilley, Donna Rice Fleiger, Dorothy Rice Layland, Eli Rice, Richard Rice, Pauline Rice, and Margaret Rice.

Bernice is survived by her daughter, Juneil Gibson and her husband Roger who live in a home they recently built on the Nye Family farm. Bernice is also survived by two granddaughters; Kerry Jewell Agnitsch, and her husband Brian of Ames, IA, and Kristi Mixdorf of Ankeny; five great grandchildren, including Jake and Brayden Agnitsch of Ames, Iowa and Andrew, Natalie, and Jay Mixdorf of Ankeny, Iowa; and three sisters, including Kathleen Rice Steiner of Manhattan, Kansas, Virginia Sikorski of Wichita, Kansas, and Betty Voboril of Esbon, Kansas.