Bernice Pottorff

Bernice Virginia Curtis Pottorff, a longtime resident of the Harvard and Hastings areas, died Thursday, August 28, 2008 at Hillcrest Cottages in Bellevue, Nebraska. She was 94.

Services will be at First United Methodist Church in Hastings at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 30, 2008. Interment at Parkview Cemetery with military rites. Memorials may be directed to the church.

She was born February 12, 1914 in Denver, Colorado to Albert Theodore and Anna Carolina Curtis. She was graduated from Harvard High School in 1932. Bernice later volunteered for duty with the Women's Army Air Corps, serving for four years during World War II and for two additional years during the Korean conflict.

Bernice was graduated from Hastings College in 1949, and also earned a Master's Degree in Education in 1955 from Pittsburg State Teacher's College. She married Clarence Joseph Pottorff November 23, 1952. Their union produced one daughter, Julie Ann Pottorff. Bernice began her career as a special education teacher at Spencer Park School in Hastings, later serving as a kindergarten teacher at Hawthorne School until her retirement. Bernice was a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church, and also was affiliated with Alpha Delta Kappa teaching sorority, Eastern Star and PEO. In addition, she remained active in women's veteran's organizations throughout her life. She had lived in Bellevue, Nebraska since 2004.

She was preceded in death by her parents, by her husband, Joe Pottorff and by siblings, Paul Clinton Curtis, Kenneth Donald Curtis, Roscoe Howard Curtis and Mildred Katherine Curtis.

She is survived by her daughter Julie Pottorff Knutson, son-in-law Joel Knutson and grandsons Christopher and Andrew Knutson, all of Bellevue, Nebraska.