Bernardine V. McBride

Bernardine V. McBride, 83, of Waco, passed away Thursday, Nov. 22, 2007, at Ridgecrest Retirement and Health Care. Services will be 2:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 26, at Western Heights Baptist Church with the Rev. Gene Smith and Dr. Scott Walker officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery. . Bernardine was born Dec. 4, 1923, in Alba, Texas, the fourth of six children to the Rev. Charles Leslie Vermillion and Novaline Cox Vermillion. Up until her retirement in 1998 and before her diagnosis with Alzheimer's, Bernardine was an accomplished businesswoman and public servant. She partnered with her husband and family in a very successful automotive service business in Houston. After three decades in the automotive business, the McBride's decided to retire and moved to the Lake Travis area of Austin. Not one to settle down, Bernardine began bookkeeping for local businesses, which led to her opening the first and greatly needed office supply store in the Lake Travis area, McBride's Paper Clip. If that wasn't enough to occupy her retirement, Bernardine was also a Charter Member of Lake Travis Improvement Association, Charter Member and Past Chairman of The Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce, Member of the Hudson Bend Volunteer Fire Department Women's Auxiliary, President of The Travis Landing Property Owners Association, Member of the Hudson Bend Garden Club, and served as a Travis County Election Judge. She was also a member of The Order of The Eastern Star. Bernardine loved her Lord and loved music. She was an accomplished pianist and organist. She was the organist at Marshall Ford Baptist Church in Austin for more than 20 years and sang in the choir when she wasn't playing the organ. Although Alzheimer's had taken her ability to communicate effectively, her Lord would never take away her music. She never lost her ability to play practically any hymn from the Baptist Hymnal and would sing along every word of every verse. She was a current member of Western Heights Baptist Church in Waco and a member of their Trinity Sunday School Class. Bernardine was preceded in death by her mother and father; brother, Rev. Leland Vermillion; and husbands, Leon A. Johnson and Oren E. McBride. She is survived by brothers, Rev. James Vermillion of Stanford, Texas, and Rev. Charles Ray Vermillion of Longview; sisters, Lois Thomas of Marshall, Texas, and Margaret Lowery of Mobile, Ala.; children, Barbara Mote of Bridgeport, Texas, Larry Johnson of Carrollton, Texas, Nova Thomson of Uhland, Texas, and Warner McBride of Robinson; grandchildren, Robert Mote, David Mote, Doug Johnson, Erin Thomson, Meghan Thomson, Kaitlin Thomson, Kristin MacKinnon and Kevin McBride; four great-grandchildren; friend and caregiver, Leslie Oden; and also whole congregation of nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family and many close friends. Pallbearers will be Robert Mote, David Mote, Doug Johnson, Kevin McBride, Chad Oden, Taylor Oden, Sam MacKinnon and Aaron Schwieters. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials may be made to the church or organization of one's choice. December 4, 1923 -November 22, 2007 Sign the Guest Book at www.wacotrib.com