Bernice Vanis

1938 - 2023

Bernice 'Bunny' Vanis

January 2, 1938 - July 14, 2023

Bernice "Bunny" Vanis was born Jan. 2, 1938, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and went peacefully to her heavenly home on Friday, July 14, 2023, at her earthly home, The Legacy. She was "Baby Bernice" at St. James Orphanage in Omaha when she was adopted on May 7, 1939, by Jake and Mary VerMaas of Cheney, Nebraska, when she was 16 months old. Bunny always felt very blessed to have been adopted into a wonderful, loving family, and therefore, never had any desire to search for her birth parents. She doesn't remember how she got the name "Bunny" since that has been her name for as long as she can remember. Most people never actually knew her real name was "Bernice."

When Bunny was 14 years old, she contracted polio. She was paralyzed for a brief time. When she was 19 years old, she went to a Christmas dance at the PlaMor Ballroom with her cousin Cathy Hajek and Cathy's husband, Ray. When Ray was in the bathroom, another "Ray" came over and asked Cathy to dance. Cathy said no because she was married but said he should dance with Bunny. So he did, and the rest is history. Bunny and Ray dated until March (three months) when they got engaged, and on July 18 they were married. A very short courtship (seven months), as they knew they were meant to be together. They were blessed with four children: Jacob (Jay), Gerilyn (Geri), Barbara (Barb) and Brian. They were married for 52 years before Ray's passing on July 24, 2011. They spent their entire married life in David City, Nebraska.

Within less than six months of Ray's passing, Bunny moved to The Legacy in Lincoln to be closer to her kids who all lived in Lincoln. She was worried when she first moved there that she wouldn't be able to make friends as she felt like Ray was always the outgoing one that could talk to anyone, and she was not that way. However, it didn't take long at all for her to become the social butterfly of The Legacy. Everyone knew Bunny. Just a few words to describe Bunny are loving, caring, accepting, selfless, welcoming, and faith-filled. She always accepted whatever trials were dealt to her in life, as she felt that if it was God's will then she trusted Him in it. She always maintained a positive attitude, even though the difficulties of her cancer in the last one-and-a-half years of her life. And even though she had lifelong effects from the polio, she never complained about it, but was grateful that she was able to walk all of her life instead of remaining paralyzed. She always had a smile on her face and was known around The Legacy for wearing silly ears, even to the dining room for dinner, and not worrying what others would think of her. We are comforted by the fact that we know she is now at home with Jesus, and with Ray, the love of her life. That she was able to run into their arms and is able to dance with no more scars or disability from the polio. Her body is restored. She will be greatly missed by all those she leaves behind.

Until we meet again someday in heaven, she leaves behind a son, Jay; grandsons: Ryan (Lexi), Chase (Mikayla) and Brayden; a daughter, Geri (Tim) Shipley; granddaughter Morgan (Evan) Marshall; a daughter, Barb Scholz; grandson Jon (Stephanie); great-granddaughters Scotland, Callahan and McKenna; granddaughter Natasha (Micah); son, Brian (Heather); grandsons: Cade, Kai and Crew; sisters-in-law, Marge Vanis and Dorothy DeWispelare, Aunt Rose Vanis; and numerous nephews, nieces and cousins. She also leaves many wonderful friends at The Legacy who will miss playing cards, bingo and hand and foot with her, as well as enjoying having her at their table for meals.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ray in 2011; parents, Jake and Mary VerMaas; mother and father-in-law, William and Agnes Vanis; brother, Tony VerMaas; brothers-in-law: Harry (Lucille), Marion (Marge), Jim (Elise) Vanis, and Kenny (Dorothy) DeWispelare; sisters-in-law: Marcy (Bob) Brezina, Wilma (Gerry) DeWispelare, and Mae (Lee) Zegers; and son-in-law, Troy Scholz.

Bunny and Ray now reside peacefully inside the Remembrance Chapel in the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery.

There was a rosary and funeral mass held on Monday, July 31, 2023, at The Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln. An Open House/Celebration of Life will be held at the Senior Center in David City on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023, from 3-5 p.m. Memorials are suggested to The American Cancer Society or to the family.