Bernice (Kissel) Gresczyk, 86, was born March 12, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents, John and Anna (Kibert) Kissel were sickly, so she was raised by relatives in Illinois. At age 12 she moved in with her grandparents, the Kiberts, in Wright and later with Anna Johnson. She graduated from Cromwell in 1946 and then attended Duluth's Teacher College. After a year she began teaching in a one-room school house in Split Rock Township, where she met and married Lewis Gresczyk, trumpet player in his band, the Rhythm Kings, whose music she enjoyed dancing to. They were married on July 17, 1948. Bernice worked at the state hospital and continued her education, getting her BS and Masters degrees in education from UMD. She taught for Barnum Central and later Barnum Elementary until her retirement in 1987. She taught for three more years in California. She and Lewis would spend their winters in California and summers at their home in Kettle River and at the family cabin in Wright. In 2004 they moved to California permanently to be with their family there. Bernice moved to the Oakview Residential Care in Moose Lake on August 12, 2012 and passed away on June 26, 2014. Bernice was very active, always doing things for and with others of the area. She loved people, her family, her students, and her church. Several strokes weakened her and she was in a wheel chair for the past several years.

Bernice is preceded in death by her husband, Lewis, her parents, her uncle, Joe, and her aunts, Vera Ellis, Edyth Wood, and Lil Nummela Evensen (all from the Kibert family).

She is survived by her brother Wally (Rosemary) Kissel of San Antonio, Texas, her aunt, Rose (Kibert) Collier Hermanson, four children, Thomas Gresczyk of Long Beach, CA, Rita (Jeff) Harrigan of Snohomish, WA (Rita and Jeff have taken care of eleven foreign exchange students), Rick Gresczyk (Cheryl, died this June 24th) of Eden Prairie, MN and Lynn (Jonathan) Mott of Orange, CA. Lynn and Jonathan have twins, Christopher and Caitlyn. Rick and Cheryl have three sons, Rick Jr. (Nicole) of Oakdale, MN, Rodger (Annie) of Watertown, MN, and Randy (Nichole) of New Brighton, MN. Rick and Cheryl adopted three other children and have ten more grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

A gathering of family and friends will be Wednesday, July 16 from 6-8 PM with a Rosary Service at 7:30 PM in Hamlin-Hansen-Kosloski Funeral Home, Moose Lake and will continue Thursday, July 17 from 10 AM until the 11 AM Memorial Mass in Holy Angels Catholic Church, Moose Lake.
Burial will take place at St. Mary's Cemetery in Wright followed by a meal and music at the cabin. July 17th is her anniversary date.

Memorials are preferred to Alpha Delta Kappa.

To sign the guestbook online, go to: www.hhkfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are with Hamlin-Hansen-Kosloski Funeral Home, Moose Lake.