Bernice

Bernice (Rawlinson) Payne of Tulsa, and more recently Owasso and Fort Gibson, passed away on Wednesday, June 26, 2013, at the age of 96. She had been ready to make this journey for 34 years, ever since her husband, James W. Payne, passed away in August of 1979. Jim and Bernice had met when they took their first teaching jobs in the Clayton Public Schools back in 1939. They married in March of 1940. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Jim enlisted in the Army Air Corps and Bernice worked for the CCC. When the war ended, Jim and Bernice moved to Tulsa where Jim was a flight instructor at Spartan Aeronautics and later, a science teacher and High School Principal at East Central. Bernice taught typing and shorthand first for many years at East Central and then later at Nathan Hale. She retired in 1982. Bernice Rawlinson was born in Hugo, Oklahoma on June 8, 1917, to Newton and Ethel Rawlinson. She earned her teaching degree at Southeastern State College in Durant and then met Jim in Clayton. She was preceded in death by her parents, Newton and Ethel Rawlinson, of Hugo, two sisters, Verda Holton and Mattie Lois Glenn, also of Hugo, and one brother, Hubert Rawlinson, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and of course, by Jim in August of 1979. She then moved her church membership to the Baptist Church of Tulsa where she was welcomed by the Senior Adults Fellowship and the Senior Adult Choir. Both played a huge part in helping her restart her new life without Jim. Bernice traveled extensively with her sister Mattie Lois and her daughter Beverly, as well as with friends from the church. She made several trips to Europe, several cruises and a trip to the Holy Land with Bill & Gloria Gaither. Bernice is survived by her son, Jim Payne and his wife Claudia, of Broken Arrow and by their three children, David Payne, Lauri Payne Thompson, Michael Payne and his wife Bridgette, all of Tulsa and by seven great-grandchildren; Tyler and Kyle Payne, Hailey and Nathan Thompson, Blake Boles, Madeline and Andrew Payne. She is also survived by her daughter, Beverly (Payne) Gorden and her husband Guy of Enchanted Oaks, Texas and by their two children, a son, Greg Gorden, and his partner, Chuck Neal, of Los Angeles, California, and daughter, Elizabeth Gorden Wright, and her husband, Mark, of Fort Worth, Texas, and by two more greatgrandchildren; Mackenzie Rae Wright and Jacob Byron Wright. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your local church or to the Moore, OK tornado relief funds. Visitatioh 8-9:00 A.M., Friday, June 28, 2013 at Moore's Southlawn. Service will be 10:00 A.M., Friday, June 28, 2013 at Moore's Southlawn Chapel

Bernice

June 8, 1917 - June 26, 2013