Berniece E Magill

Memorial Services for Berniece E. (Swanson) Magill will be on Friday, November 2, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Holdrege, Nebraska with Reverend Nora Mendyk officiating. A private family interment will be held prior to the service at the Prairie Home Cemetery at Holdrege.

Berniece Elaine (Swanson) Magill, 88 years of age, of Holdrege, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, October 29, 2018 at CHI Health Good Samaritan in Kearney, Nebraska.  Berniece was born September 7, 1930 at her parent's home, southeast of Loomis, Nebraska.  She was the younger of two daughters born to Albert John and Esther Mae (Abramson) Swanson.  She loved the life of a farm girl and the close knit bond with her parents and sister, Marilyn.  Both daughters attended District 29 rural school and Loomis Public Schools, with Berniece graduating with Class of 1948.  Due to her father's declining health, she assisted her parents on their farm until 1950 when the family moved to Holdrege.  Berniece was then employed at the Johnson Wieman Company in Holdrege.

As a junior in high school, she fell in love with Robert Dale Magill.  Their first date was attending the Minden Christmas pageant; the first of a lifetime of Christmases spent together.  On June 26, 1954, they were united in marriage at the First United Methodist Church in Holdrege.  The couple was blessed with two children:  Michael and Mary.  The early years of her marriage were devoted to the care of her family and home.  In 1974, she began employment with Becton-Dickinson in Holdrege.  Following a courageous battle with ovarian cancer, she retired in 1990.  Bob and Berniece enjoyed a lifetime of devotion to each other until Bob's passing on February 24, 2017.

Berniece's life was centered around her faith and her family.  From kneeling beside her mother as Esther prayed in Swedish, to her final days, she loved and trusted the Lord with her life and her salvation.  She was baptized as an infant at the Moses Hill Covenant Church.  As a youth, the Swanson family attended both the Moses Hill Covenant Church and the Loomis Evangelical Free Church. Upon moving to Holdrege, she became a faithful member of the First United Methodist Church.  She loved her church and served it in many capacities throughout the years, as a committee member, serving funeral lunches and as a nursery Sunday school teacher for many years.

Berniece provided a warm and loving home for her family.  Whether you were her husband or child, parent or sister, niece or nephew, you knew that you were loved unconditionally.  She enjoyed participating in the activities of the Holdrege Public Schools during her children's careers.  She was an excellent cook and seamstress and enjoyed working in her flower beds.  Her home at the holidays was a feast for all the senses.  Being a true Swede, she believed in the maxim that, "cleanliness is next to Godliness", when it came to your appearance and home.

Berniece was proud of her Swedish heritage and enjoyed carrying on the holiday traditions.  She enjoyed the visits of her Swedish relatives, as well as the after school coffees, when she and Marilyn and their children, would gather in Esther's kitchen.  Berniece was the last surviving member of the clan of Abramson cousins.

Besides her parents and husband; Berniece was preceded in death by:  her sister, Marilyn Johnson and her husband, Quenton; Bob's parents, William and Iva (Potter) Magill; along with other treasured family members.

Those left to cherish her memory include:  her children:  Mary Magill of Holdrege; and Michael Magill of Holdrege; sister-in-law, Lucille Woodard of Holdrege; a special cousin, Margareta Karlsson and her husband, Alf of Vallingby, Sweden; along with nephews, nieces, other family, and friends.

Visitation will be held Thursday, November 1, 2018 from 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege with the family greeting friends from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

A memorial has been established in Berniece's honor and will be designated at a later date.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com .

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.