Berniece Vercellino

MULKEYTOWN - Berniece Vercellino, 79, loving wife and mother, died peacefully at 9:05 p.m. Thursday, April 30, 2009.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 5, 2009, in St. Andrew Catholic Church in Christopher with Father Steven Poole officiating. Burial will be in St. Andrew Cemetery in Christopher. Visitation will be after 6 p.m. Monday in Gilbert Funeral Home in Christopher.

Berniece was born Nov. 3, 1929, in West Frankfort, the daughter of Corsie Ben and Anne Bell (Campbell) Bufford.

She graduated from Valier High School in 1948. She married Frank Vercellino on Sept. 14, 1950.

Berniece was a homemaker who enjoyed flower gardening and sewing for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a member of St. Andrew Catholic Church in Christopher, where she attended for 59 years. She was a member of St. Andrew Altar Society and the Catholic Daughters of America.

Although a homemaker most of her life, Berniece did work for a time at sewing factories in both Benton and Du Quoin, where she made many life-long friends.

Survivors include her husband of almost 59 years, Frank Vercellino, of Mulkeytown; her children Sandy and Nick Laur of Coello and Steve and Terry Vercellino of Mulkeytown; her grandchildren, who lovingly called her grandma niece, Brian and Dana Laur and Erin and Chip Basso of Sesser, Lacey, Stevie and John Vercellino and Chris Bial of Mulkeytown; and great-grandchildren, Reid and Reagan Basso and Delaney and Patrice Laur of Sesser; two sisters Louise (Barney) Hoffmann of Belleville and Margaret (Chuck) Feltmeyer of Granite City; brother, Bennie (Betty) Bufford of Decatur; and her dear walking buddies, Myrtle Allen and Bonnie Shileny who will have to "keep up the walk" in her memory.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and one brother, Marvin Bufford, of Decatur.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of Southern Illinois in Marion or St. Andrew Catholic Church cemetery fund and will be accepted at the funeral home.