Bernice Marie Draine, age 93, of Broadus passed away on Saturday, June 16, 2012 at the Powder River Manor in Broadus.
Bernice was born on January 3, 1919 to Hans Christian Larsen and Mable Amanda Oberg Larsen in the Crane, Montana area. She was the oldest of three children, a sister, Irene and a baby brother, Ervin. The family faced a terrible tragedy when their mother got burned while trying to start the wood and coal stove. She died in 1922 just a few days later. Bernice and the children were separated and lived with different relatives for about six years before their father married a woman named Minnie Rasmussen in 1928.
While she was living with relatives, her cousin Herb Larsen became her best friend. They remained that way for over 70 years. Shortly before she entered the Powder River Manor, she made a trip to Sidney, Montana to visit him.
Once the family was back together they worked on the farm. Her dad raised honeybees for a while and they used honey to cook. The kids did the typical chores of harnessing horses, gardening, milking the cows, feeding animals, hauling water and keeping the house clean. The depression hit and times got tough. Bunny used to talk about stomping thistles and treating them with molasses to feed the horses in the winter. Fortunately, Bunny has a written record of her family history.
One of Bunny’s favorite things as a child was hunting for agates on the hills and in the dry creek bed. Another favorite thing of Bunny’s was Christmas trees. She only remembers one tree they had for about a day, and then they hauled it (decorations and all) to the neighbor’s to share. In her adult years, she always had a beautiful tree and she adored it immensely…so much that it stayed up longer than most peoples.
Bunny attended Eastern Montana College in Billings where she met Harold Draine. Bunny really enjoyed her college years meeting new people. (It was at college that her friends nicknamed her Bunny because her nose wrinkled up like a Bunny when she smiled.) They worked two summers at Yellowstone Park where she had many happy memories with friends. They received their teaching degrees in May of 1942; got married the next day at a professor’s house and hitchhiked out to Seattle to work in the shipyards.
They came back to Montana a few years later and attempted to raise sheep. That was a tough learning experience and then moved to California and lived with her sister and husband for a brief time. They tended to her father’s farm in the Sidney area for about a month in the summer of 1946 while he made a trip back to his homeland in Denmark. She taught school there that fall.
Bunny and Harold lived in a sheep wagon for a few years before buying the current ranch in 1948 and building a home. Bunny taught for a few years at the Boyes School before starting a family. She and Harold had three sons – Harold Jr., Larry and Gary. She raised more than just these boys since they were always bringing friend’s home. She was forever fixing a table full of food for them and anyone else who might stop by, many times at a moment’s notice.
Bunny and Harold were together over 60 years before Harold passed on in May of 2006. She lived on the ranch until February 2009 when she moved into the Powder River Manor. She remained there until her death.
She is survived by her sons: Harold (Sacha) Draine, Larry (Dawn) Draine, and Gary Draine; five grandchildren: Colt Draine, Tim (Joni) Draine, James Draine, Stacie Draine (Kelly) Ostendorf and Corie Draine; and two great-granddaughters: Damara and Addison. She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother and a sister. She will be missed immensely by many including her “family” at the Manor who took special care of her. She will always be remembered for her warm smile and sparkling blue eyes. To those who really knew Bunny, they witnessed what a survivor she was. One of the highlights of her life was her trip in 1972 to Denmark with her Dad and Harold. She also loved her Siamese cats, raising Border Collies, square dancing, reading a good book, watching birds and mystery movies.
When a woman lives to be 93 years old, the stories are too numerous to share in a brief space. We encourage you to remember and share your stories of her to keep her memory alive.
Visitation will be held on Monday, June 25, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Broadus. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Broadus. Interment will follow in the family lot of the Valley View Cemetery. Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home of Broadus is in charge of the arrangements. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting: www.stevensonandsons.com.
Service Schedule
Visitation
1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Monday June 25, 2012
Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home
East Wilson
Broadus, MT 59317
Funeral Service
11:00 a.m.
Tuesday June 26, 2012
Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home
East Wilson
Broadus, MT 59317
Service Schedule
Visitation
1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Monday June 25, 2012
Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home
East Wilson
Broadus, MT 59317
Funeral Service
11:00 a.m.
Tuesday June 26, 2012
Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home
East Wilson
Broadus, MT 59317
Bev Schaffer says
Larry and family,
I so enjoyed Bunny when I was at the Nursing Home. She was a lovely lady and quite a character. She loved coming to the dining room for coffee and visiting, plus she would sometimes sing a song for us. I feel blessed to have gotten to know her.
Bev Schaffer
Marla Hoffman says
Sorry for your loss Harold and Bunny were great people now they’re together again
Mike and Tammy Pecha says
Dear Larry ,Dawn and family:So sorry for your loss.Bunny was such a sweet lady.You are in our prayers.
Roberta Morgan Rickman says
Junior, Larry and Gary, so sorry to hear of your mom’s passing. Your folks were really nice people.
LeRoy Draine says
sorry to hear of your loss, but we all know she how sits at the 50 line of life and watching us. so if you feel a cool breeze on your neck sometime, she may have passed through.
Sent on behalf of the H. F Draine children, LeRoy, Maurice, and Roger.
R. Lewis says
I would like to send my condolences to the family of Bernice. May you be comforted by the promise of the resurrection and knowledge that soon death will be no more and never again will we have to bury our loved ones. God makes this wonderful promise to us at Isaiah 25:8 where it says that he will “swallow up death forever.” I hope these words bring you some solace.
ken&agnes drane says
sorry to hear about bunny. we used to enjoy the folks picnics in they were fun to be around at the family
Leslie Rice Seabrook says
So sorry to hear about Aunt Bunny…she was one of my favorites! I will never forget the last visit with her. My brother and sister all made the trip to visit her and had a delightful time with her. Blessings.