HOMEWOOD - Berniece (Mitchell) Harris, 95, of Homewood, formerly of Earlville, passed away June 29, 2017 at Manorcare Health SVS in Homewood.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 7 at Earlville United Presbyterian Church in Earlville with Pastor Del Keilman officiating. Burial of her urn will follow at Precinct Cemetery, rural Earlville. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until time of services on July 7 at the church. Arrangements were handled by Hanley-Turner-Eighner Funeral Home in Earlville.

Berniece was born Dec. 21, 1921 in rural Triumph to William and Grace (Preston) Mitchell. She married Robert Elwood Harris on Aug. 21, 1941 at the Presbyterian Church in Mendota.

Survivors include two daughters, Bonnie (Charles) Swatek of Crete and Mary (Neil Strack) Bissey of Champaign; one son, Thomas William (Loretta Larson) Harris of Belvidere; six grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; one sister-in-law, Phebe Harris Thompson; and 13 nieces and nephews and their families.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and one brother, Melvin Mitchell.

Berniece attended grade school in Triumph in a two-room school and also in a one-room school, District 305, near Earlville. She graduated from Earlville High School in 1939. She was employed at Len Boyd’s grocery store in Earlville and also worked at the outdoor theater for a short time. Later, she was employed at the Earlville Leader for several years and she spent 16 years at CTS Knights in Sandwich as assistant personnel manager. She was a life-long member of the Earlville Presbyterian Church where she served as a deacon. Berniece and Robert were founding members of the Earlville Historical Society.

Memorials may be directed to the Earlville United Presbyterian Church or the Earlville Historical Society. For more information or to sign the online guest book, go to www.EighnerFuneralHomes.com.