Lula Bernice Thomas was born in the tiny Texas hamlet of Exray in Erath county. The second of five children born to the marital union of James Monroe Thompson and the former Naomi Arnold, she was destined to outlive both parents and all four of her siblings. In time, James, also known as John, and Naomi went their separate ways and made new marriages.
Bernice, who went by her middle name, was age 18 when she became the third – and last – wife of Neal Presley McKaskle. Neal, who was in his early 50s at that time, had been twice widowed and was the father of four. At the time of his death at age 66 two weeks into January 1944, Bernice was still a youthful age 37. When she passed away in 1997 she was 10 weeks shy of her 90th birthday. In the intervening 53 years, she never took a second husband. The marriage may have failed, as, according to his obituary, Neal was living in Monroe with one of his daughters when he passed away.
Bernice and Neal would bring a daughter into the world, Jacqueline Marie, who was born in 1930. Jackie would be their only child.
At her death in 1997, Bernice’s remains were donated to medical science for use in medical research and/or education. What the institution did with her remains when it reached the point where they had exceeded their usefulness to the medical community, is a mystery. Being her next-of-kin, her daughter probably knew and may have had some say in how her mother’s remains were finally dealt wit. At best, it does not seem to have been in a marked grave.
Jackie died in 2011 and may have taken the answer to the question of her mother’s final resting place with her to her own grave. More than likely, the remains were cremated and the ashes either buried in an unknown burial ground, inurned in an unidentified columbarium, scattered in a favorite place, or simply placed on someone’s fireplace mantle or on a closet shelf to gather dust.
Bernice was survived by her beloved daughter, Jackie, wife of physicist Frank Joseph Petkovsek. Jackie would present her mother with three beautiful granddaughters to dote on and to cherish. Sadly, the oldest granddaughter, Gail Marie (Petkovsek), wife of Richard McGill Mosby, predeceased both her mother and her maternal grandmother when she died at age 40 in 1992.
Others left to cherish Bernice’s memory were her granddaughters Lisa Susan, wife of Wyatt Earl Sharp, and Jacqueline Ann, wife of James Fredric “Jimmy” Gallman; and great-grandchildren Richard McGill Mosby, Frank Joseph Mosby, Catherine Leigh Sharp, Lindsey Erin Sharp, Lucas James Gallman, Kyle Fredric Gallman, and Andrew Kaiser Gallman.
Bernice, who went by her middle name, was age 18 when she became the third – and last – wife of Neal Presley McKaskle. Neal, who was in his early 50s at that time, had been twice widowed and was the father of four. At the time of his death at age 66 two weeks into January 1944, Bernice was still a youthful age 37. When she passed away in 1997 she was 10 weeks shy of her 90th birthday. In the intervening 53 years, she never took a second husband. The marriage may have failed, as, according to his obituary, Neal was living in Monroe with one of his daughters when he passed away.
Bernice and Neal would bring a daughter into the world, Jacqueline Marie, who was born in 1930. Jackie would be their only child.
At her death in 1997, Bernice’s remains were donated to medical science for use in medical research and/or education. What the institution did with her remains when it reached the point where they had exceeded their usefulness to the medical community, is a mystery. Being her next-of-kin, her daughter probably knew and may have had some say in how her mother’s remains were finally dealt wit. At best, it does not seem to have been in a marked grave.
Jackie died in 2011 and may have taken the answer to the question of her mother’s final resting place with her to her own grave. More than likely, the remains were cremated and the ashes either buried in an unknown burial ground, inurned in an unidentified columbarium, scattered in a favorite place, or simply placed on someone’s fireplace mantle or on a closet shelf to gather dust.
Bernice was survived by her beloved daughter, Jackie, wife of physicist Frank Joseph Petkovsek. Jackie would present her mother with three beautiful granddaughters to dote on and to cherish. Sadly, the oldest granddaughter, Gail Marie (Petkovsek), wife of Richard McGill Mosby, predeceased both her mother and her maternal grandmother when she died at age 40 in 1992.
Others left to cherish Bernice’s memory were her granddaughters Lisa Susan, wife of Wyatt Earl Sharp, and Jacqueline Ann, wife of James Fredric “Jimmy” Gallman; and great-grandchildren Richard McGill Mosby, Frank Joseph Mosby, Catherine Leigh Sharp, Lindsey Erin Sharp, Lucas James Gallman, Kyle Fredric Gallman, and Andrew Kaiser Gallman.
Lula Bernice Thomas was born in the tiny Texas hamlet of Exray in Erath county. The second of five children born to the marital union of James Monroe Thompson and the former Naomi Arnold, she was destined to outlive both parents and all four of her siblings. In time, James, also known as John, and Naomi went their separate ways and made new marriages.
Bernice, who went by her middle name, was age 18 when she became the third – and last – wife of Neal Presley McKaskle. Neal, who was in his early 50s at that time, had been twice widowed and was the father of four. At the time of his death at age 66 two weeks into January 1944, Bernice was still a youthful age 37. When she passed away in 1997 she was 10 weeks shy of her 90th birthday. In the intervening 53 years, she never took a second husband. The marriage may have failed, as, according to his obituary, Neal was living in Monroe with one of his daughters when he passed away.
Bernice and Neal would bring a daughter into the world, Jacqueline Marie, who was born in 1930. Jackie would be their only child.
At her death in 1997, Bernice’s remains were donated to medical science for use in medical research and/or education. What the institution did with her remains when it reached the point where they had exceeded their usefulness to the medical community, is a mystery. Being her next-of-kin, her daughter probably knew and may have had some say in how her mother’s remains were finally dealt wit. At best, it does not seem to have been in a marked grave.
Jackie died in 2011 and may have taken the answer to the question of her mother’s final resting place with her to her own grave. More than likely, the remains were cremated and the ashes either buried in an unknown burial ground, inurned in an unidentified columbarium, scattered in a favorite place, or simply placed on someone’s fireplace mantle or on a closet shelf to gather dust.
Bernice was survived by her beloved daughter, Jackie, wife of physicist Frank Joseph Petkovsek. Jackie would present her mother with three beautiful granddaughters to dote on and to cherish. Sadly, the oldest granddaughter, Gail Marie (Petkovsek), wife of Richard McGill Mosby, predeceased both her mother and her maternal grandmother when she died at age 40 in 1992.
Others left to cherish Bernice’s memory were her granddaughters Lisa Susan, wife of Wyatt Earl Sharp, and Jacqueline Ann, wife of James Fredric “Jimmy” Gallman; and great-grandchildren Richard McGill Mosby, Frank Joseph Mosby, Catherine Leigh Sharp, Lindsey Erin Sharp, Lucas James Gallman, Kyle Fredric Gallman, and Andrew Kaiser Gallman.
Bernice, who went by her middle name, was age 18 when she became the third – and last – wife of Neal Presley McKaskle. Neal, who was in his early 50s at that time, had been twice widowed and was the father of four. At the time of his death at age 66 two weeks into January 1944, Bernice was still a youthful age 37. When she passed away in 1997 she was 10 weeks shy of her 90th birthday. In the intervening 53 years, she never took a second husband. The marriage may have failed, as, according to his obituary, Neal was living in Monroe with one of his daughters when he passed away.
Bernice and Neal would bring a daughter into the world, Jacqueline Marie, who was born in 1930. Jackie would be their only child.
At her death in 1997, Bernice’s remains were donated to medical science for use in medical research and/or education. What the institution did with her remains when it reached the point where they had exceeded their usefulness to the medical community, is a mystery. Being her next-of-kin, her daughter probably knew and may have had some say in how her mother’s remains were finally dealt wit. At best, it does not seem to have been in a marked grave.
Jackie died in 2011 and may have taken the answer to the question of her mother’s final resting place with her to her own grave. More than likely, the remains were cremated and the ashes either buried in an unknown burial ground, inurned in an unidentified columbarium, scattered in a favorite place, or simply placed on someone’s fireplace mantle or on a closet shelf to gather dust.
Bernice was survived by her beloved daughter, Jackie, wife of physicist Frank Joseph Petkovsek. Jackie would present her mother with three beautiful granddaughters to dote on and to cherish. Sadly, the oldest granddaughter, Gail Marie (Petkovsek), wife of Richard McGill Mosby, predeceased both her mother and her maternal grandmother when she died at age 40 in 1992.
Others left to cherish Bernice’s memory were her granddaughters Lisa Susan, wife of Wyatt Earl Sharp, and Jacqueline Ann, wife of James Fredric “Jimmy” Gallman; and great-grandchildren Richard McGill Mosby, Frank Joseph Mosby, Catherine Leigh Sharp, Lindsey Erin Sharp, Lucas James Gallman, Kyle Fredric Gallman, and Andrew Kaiser Gallman.
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