Eva Bernice (Jones) Guptill (1922 - 2012)

Born 6 May 1922 in Stockton, California

Ancestors

Died 2 Aug 2012 at age 90 in Oregon

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Dustin Jones [send private message]

Biography

Occupation Dental Technician

Born at Merced County Hospital Merced, California

The Story of my life - Bernice Guptill My Dad Howard Addison Jones was a carpenter - farmer. When he was 25 he married a pretty young 18 year old girl named Edna Sarah Helen Rude on July 3, 1917.

I was born May 6, 1922 in Stockton California. My parents referred to me as Ivan’s sister, and from then on my family called me "Sister." Later baby Dorothy was born to round out our family. Growing up on the River Ranch bordering the Merced River held many happy memories for me. I remember during the Depression that my Papa had a truck garden, and used to take his veggies to sell around town. Toward the end of his route if people couldn’t pay for them he’d just give them away.

From the time I was a small child I enjoyed collecting things & had boxes of "treasures" under my bed. My first serious hobby started in 1945 with the collection of postage stamps. Through the years I have faithfully collected & categorized, and put thousands of stamps into albums. Then I inherited a good collection of shells from my father & brother and added some of my own finds to the collection too.

From my travels to Canada, Mexico, Holland, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Macau, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and the Philippines I started a spoon collection with spoons from these various places. My father was an avid "Rock hound" & he often gave me cuts of rocks, so that I have a good rock collection of my own with many of his polished rocks too & I’ve added many also.

I’ve collected poems in a number of poem books. I enjoyed reading poems and scripture to my granddaughter Allison. Botany has been an interest of mine. I have enjoyed house plants, and my house and patio are full of them. I’ve taken some classes in Arizona wild flowers and trees. I pressed many wild flowers and used them to create greeting cards and book marks for my book mark ministry. I also sang in the church choir for several years. I was Primary Sabbath School leader also. Some of the things I enjoyed doing was tole painting and doing some oil painting.

I had an avid interest in family history and kept a daily diary from the age of 12 on. During my school years when my folks wanted to know when the calf was born they’d say "Sister go get your diary and tell us when she was born." So in this way my documentation came in handy through the years.

Studying the Bible is another of my very special hobbies - especially Bible prophecy. Going to school was fun for me and I always loved to study and was a good student.

From the age of 16 on I have loved cats, and had several through the years. When I was 17 I graduated from Modesto Academy.

One of the friends I was especially interested in was a handsome young man named John Guptill, also known as "Jack." He was older than I was, and had a girlfriend. At one church social when they were in a circle holding hands during one of the games, I positioned myself right in between them. I got away with it because I was only 11 years old.

Several years later on a Thursday evening on May 22, 1941 I happily married John Stephen Guptill at the Livingston Seventh-day Adventist Church.

After a short honeymoon we headed toward Pacific Union College where we both were taking classes.

While we were at Pacific Union College a baby girl was born to us. John talked me out of naming her Patience - since my labor was so long. Instead we named her Kathleen Edna after her Grandma Edna. Kathy’s little brother Steve was born a couple of years later in Loma Linda, and we affectionately called him "Stevie."

When our kids were young I found fun things for them to do - like go to the beach, and riding the waves into shore, and buying fresh corn on the cob to eat when we got home. Then there was the Pathfinder Club. I took several of the hobbies classes and earned the honor of becoming a Master Guide. Another adventure I enjoyed was hot air ballooning with friends in Arizona.

When my children were in the Academy, one of our young friends wanted to take Dental Assisting so I agreed to taking the class with her. Every day we drove from Loma Linda to Chaffey College together. It was about a 30 minute drive. In June of 1959 we were capped and pinned as a Certified Dental Assistants.

One of my first jobs was at the School of Dentistry in Loma Linda where I worked in the Orthodontic Department for 18 years.

I became a skilled Orthodontic Technician. I helped the Dentist by bending the braces wires, and making nice models of the children’s teeth before and after they were straightened.

While I was working at the School of Dentistry I went on a couple of Mission trips to Chiapas Mexico. It was a pleasure to be able to provide free dental care to the poor people who lived there. I loved adventures and when my kids were grown I went on a week long white water rafting trip.

After I retired in 1984 I volunteered as a pink lady to help patients at the Loma Linda University hospital. Another of my hobbies has been playing the harmonica with my friends, my daughter Kathy, and my great grandson Andrew.

While we were living in Arizona we had a weekly Bible study at our home. We were known as the "Tuesday Girls."

When Steve and Peggy were at South China Union College in Hong Kong, where he taught Bible, my husband and I went as SOS volunteer missionaries for a year. Jack worked in the business office and I taught English.

I have been blessed by 2 children who love the Lord, Steve & Kathy, and 3 Grandchildren Scott, Allison, and Wendy, and 4 great grandchildren Brandon, Andrew, Guin, and Alex.

Some of the places I traveled to were Hawaii and Pakistan with Judy, toHong Kong to be with our family there, to Alaska with Betty, and to the Philippines where my son Steve is the President of the University there.

For the last nearly 10 years I have lived with my daughter Kathy & her husband Wayne. I have been so thankful for my home with them.

Sources

• Bernice's story read at her funeral