Bernita Thorpe Jess

Bernita (Powers) Thorpe Jess, 88, of Midland, died Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012, at Nottingham Place. She was born June 22, 1924, at Davenport, Iowa, the daughter of the late Carmon and Mary (Boswell) Powers. Bernita was the oldest of four children. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Mary Ellen Lawing (John) and Jane Engel. Her brother, Robert Powers of Charlotte, N.C. survives.

Throughout her adult life, Bernita was involved in various avenues of Christian service from working as a missionary, serving on the staff of a Christian ministry and writing magazine articles on Bible manners and customs for over 30 years.

Bernita graduated from Cooley High School in Detroit and then graduated from what was then Detroit Bible College. After graduation, she worked as a missionary at a Navaho Reservation in Arizona and later served as a home missionary at churches in Ohio and Michigan. She married her first husband, Elmer Corbett Thorpe, a minister, in 1951. She continued in ministry service with her husband in Ohio until his death as the result of a car accident.

Bernita married her second husband, George Henry Jess, in 1963. Together they both served as staff for The Way International, a nondenominational Christian ministry. In the 1960s, Bernita began to study Aramaic, later studied Hebrew, and coordinated the development and production of Aramaic reference materials. She also studied and wrote articles on Bible manners and customs. A compilation of those articles was published in a book entitled "On the Trail of Manners and Customs of the Bible" in 2009. George Henry Jess preceded her in death. Bernita moved from Ohio to Midland, to live near her family in 1999.

Bernita is survived by her children, Sharon Mortensen (Rob) of Midland and James Thorpe Jess (Jean) of Marietta, Ga. She is also survived by six grandchildren, Luke Mortensen (Jenny) of Boston, Mass., Jesse Mortensen of Colorado Springs, Colo., Katie and Lydia Mortensen of Midland and Courtney and Jennifer Jess of Marietta, Ga.

Visitation will be held Monday, Sept. 3, 2012, from 10 a.m., prior to a memorial service at 11 a.m. Visitation and services will take place at Wilson Miller Funeral Home, 4210 N. Saginaw Rd., Midland. The family asks that memorial gifts be given to The Way International, Midland Area Community Foundation or to Shelterhouse. Personal messages of condolence may be offered at www.wilson-miller.com