Berniece Marie Rowland entered her heavenly home on Sunday, January 19, 2025, at Porta Caeli House in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the remarkable age of 99. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Mobley-Groesbeck Funeral Service of Sand Springs.

A funeral service celebrating Berniece's life will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 23, at Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The service may be viewed live at https://www.facebook.com/ChristTheRedeemerLutheranChurch

A graveside service will follow at 1 p.m. on Friday, January 24, at St. John Lutheran Cemetery in Nashville, Kansas. Friends and family may pay their respects during viewing on Wednesday, January 22, from 12–8 p.m. at the funeral home.

Berniece was born on June 26, 1925, in Nashville, Kansas, to William Otto Morisse and Catherine Lydia (Borgstede) Morisse. Growing up on a farm in Nashville, she attended Zenda High School, graduating early because she skipped ahead a grade in elementary school. After high school, Berniece moved to Wichita to live with her Aunt Martha and Uncle Bob and cousins Gladys and Alice while attending beauty school, earning her cosmetology license, which she maintained throughout her life.

Berniece met the love of her life, Amzy E. Rowland, through relatives at a New Year's party in 1959. They married on October 17, 1959, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Wichita. The couple moved to Waco, Texas, in 1969, with their sons Mike and Brent, then moved to Norman, Oklahoma, and eventually settled in Tulsa in 1975, where they built a life centered on family and faith.

Berniece held various roles throughout her career, including positions at Boeing and Cudahy where she was a keypunch operator. She later worked in early childhood centers including Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church. She returned to data processing at United Video (later TV Guide). She retired in 1997 at the age of 72. She was proud that she continued to work after her husband's death in 1984 and paid off their home.  Her love for children was evident in her time working with preschoolers, and she found joy in nurturing young minds and hearts.

A dedicated member of Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church for over 50 years, Berniece was active in many ministries, including Dorcas Women's Circle, Lutheran Braille Workers, the Lutheran Women's Missionary League, and teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.

Berniece enjoyed life's simple pleasures: sewing, reading, and caring for her roses and azaleas. She adored spending time with her family, friends, and "granddogs." She would babysit any time she could. She cherished organized bus trips across the U.S. with her cousins, Alice and Gladys, who were like sisters to her. A devoted mother, Berniece ensured her sons, Michael and Brent, grew up with a love of books, their favorite homemade meals, and treasured family traditions including a homemade dessert each weekend.

Berniece's kind, resolute, and loving spirit left a lasting legacy. She was preceded in death by her husband, Amzy; her parents; her brother, Wilbert Morisse; and many beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, and dear friends. She is survived by her beloved sons, Michael E. Rowland and Brent L. Rowland, who carry forward her memory with love and gratitude, her cousins, her niece Bonnie Allen, great nieces and nephews and their families, and friends who filled her last years with love and care.

Memorial contributions may be made to Porta Caeli House, 2440 N. Harvard Ave., Tulsa, OK 74115, www.cceok.org/porta-caeli-house/ , St. John Lutheran Cemetery Fund, c/o Lleanna Westerman, P.O. Box 123, Nashville, KS 67112, or Lutheran Braille Workers, 13471 California St, Yucaipa, California 92399, www.lbwloveworks.org