Berniece Thurlow

Berniece Margery Elizabeth (Gutz) Thurlow, age 93, of Nisswa, passed away Wednesday night, March 1, at Woodland Good Samaritan Village. She was born on November 1, 1912, to Frank R. and Elizabeth Ida (Sidel) Gutz in St. Paul, MN. After her mother died during the Flu Pandemic of 1918, she and her family moved to the north shore of Sibley Lake in Pequot Lakes. In 1930 Berniece graduated from high school in Pequot Lakes and attended St. Cloud State College. She married W. Scott Thurlow on January 1,1937, and began working in the family hardware store the next day and continued working there until the business was sold to Tom and Sue Thurlow in 1974. Active in the community, Berniece was a Red Cross Volunteer, Den Mother and played Santa Claus at the Nisswa school during World War II when the men were gone. She served as a Fire Warden for over 45 years.
She is survived by sons, Scott Mike (Marie) Thurlow and Thomas G. (Susan) Thurlow; and five grandchildren; Thomas A., Meghan, Magdalene, Jacqueline and Elizabeth.

She was preceded in death by her husband, W. Scott in 1983; her parents, Frank and Elizabeth; three brothers Burnard (Barney), George, Robert, and a sister, Gretchen, who died in infancy.

Memorials preferred to area food shelves or H.A.R.T.