Bernice was the second child born to Vivan and Anna Richmond. She was born November 11, 1937 at the farm of Moe and Pete Wyatt near Wyanet, Illinois, where her parents were 
living at the time. Her name was derived from the names of two of her father's old girlfriends, and proper pronunciation was always a problem. Her first name, properly pronounced "burn-iss," was usually pronounced by others as "ber-neese." She grew up in Wyanet and graduated from Wyanet High School in 1955. She went on to college and graduated from Illinois State University in 1959 with a degree in education, and then followed up with a Master's Degree in education from the University of Illinois in 1963.
On July 26, 1964 she married Roland Gene Pettit and with him she had two sons, Thomas Roland, born August 13, 1965 and Daniel Gilbert, born April 23, 1969. Daniel died tragically in an auto accident in 1999.
After completing her education Bernice taught home economics in Walnut, Illinois for three years and another year at Highland Park, Illinois, before leaving her work to raise her 
boys. She and Roland were divorced in 1983, and at that time Bernice took employment with the Fulton County, Illinois Health Department, as a health educator, a position she still has (in 2000).
Bernice enjoys quilting and reading in her spare time.
Bernice's boys, Dan and Tom Pettit
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