Caledonia Argus

Posted: 12/11/03

Bernice Sylling

Bernice Elsie Sylling, 88, of Spring Grove, died Wednesday, December 10, 2003 after a brief stay at Tweeten Health Services in Spring Grove. She was born December 13, 1914, near Windom, MN, to Charles and Emma (Heitz) Meister.

At the age of nine she joined 4-H and remained active in it in some capacity for most of her life, in later years she was awarded the Minnesota Alumni 4-H award. She attended rural school, and in 1930, at the age of fifteen, she graduated from Austin High School, because of her young age she post graduated in commercial subjects. That fall she enrolled at the University of Minnesota, and in 1936 received a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics. That year William Neilsen hired her as a teacher in Spring Grove, where she taught until she married her husband Leonard in 1938.

In those days teachersí contracts read, ìMarriage voids this contract,î so she became a full-time farmerís wife, homemaker, and mother, she later returned to do some substitute teaching, and in 1990, the school district honored her with the Citizen Recognition Award. She was a very active member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Spring Grove, the Farm Bureau, the Caledonia Rockets 4-H club, and the Wilmington Switch Homemakers group.

She is survived by two sons, Gordon (Helen) of Ruidoso, NM; Warren of Mankato; one daughter, Barbara (Fred) Arnold of Caledonia; six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one brother Edgar (Shirley) Meister of Chadron, Nebraska; three sisters-in-law, Julia Schroeder of Caledonia, Alma Hagen and Cora Muller of Spring Grove.

In addition to her husband Leonard in 1985, she was preceded in death by four brothers, Marvin, Harold, Donald, and Kenneth.

Services will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Spring Grove. Burial will be in Trinity Church Cemetery. Pastor Robert Stoskopf will officiate. Friends may call Thursday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Roble Funeral Home in Spring Grove, and one hour prior to services at the church on Friday.

The family requests in lieu of flowers, memorials be given to Trinity Lutheran Church or the Houston County 4-H Program.

Top of Page