Rose Helen Berning, 100, passed peacefully on Dec. 2, 2023.
She was born in St. Paul, Oregon, to Sylvester and Christine Spehn Smith. She was the fourth youngest of 13 children.
Rose met Talwin Berning at a flax festival dance in Mount Angel. They married in June 1944. The couple had five children. She was a full-time homemaker while the children were at home. After that she worked at the Mt. Angel Post Office for 28 years, retiring at the age of 70. Rose was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and St. Anne’s Altar Society.
Rose enjoyed gardening, sewing, family gatherings, cooking, and trips to the beach. She was also a skilled cribbage and pinochle player and she played Word Chums on her iPad with her family up until her 100th birthday. She will be remembered for the great love and generosity she had for her family and friends. She used every day of her long life to learn and grow in her strong faith. She touched many lives. She will be dearly missed by her friends and her family.
Rose’s husband, Talwin Berning, preceded her in death in October 2007, after 63 years of marriage. Rose was also preceded in death by her son, Roger Berning, in August 2023, and all of her siblings. She is survived by four children and their spouses, Roseann (Carl) Sheeon, Florence (Tom) O’Brien, Bruce Berning, and Jean (John) Dawson; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
The funeral mass celebrating her life will be held Friday, Dec. 15, at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mount Angel. In lieu of flowers, remembrances in Rose’s honor may be made to St. Mary’s Catholic Church or a charity of your choice.
Arrangements Unger Funeral Chapel – Mount Angel.
