Bernice Couch Durning

Bernice (Couch) Durning, 87, a Fayetteville resident, passed away on July 8, 2015. She was born near Hazel Valley, Arkansas on May 24, 1928 into a large family. Her parents were Charlie Couch and Rosa (Brannon) Couch. Soon after her birth, the family returned to Health, Arkansas (Madison County), and Bernice grew up on Brannon Mountain where her father, assisted by Rosa and their kids, was a sharecropper and farmer on land located near the Brannon Mountain Church. With her siblings, she attended school at Crosses Creek, a three-mile walk from her home. When Bernice was 14, she and her family moved to Harmon, in Washington County, to assist a relative with his brooder houses. After the war, she moved to Fayetteville where she met Coy Durning, who had recently returned from Army service in the Pacific and was working at Shipley Baking Company. They married on August 5, 1946. They had one son, Danny Durning. Bernice spent most of her time as a home maker and working on craft projects, but worked outside the home at different times for extra cash. Among her places of employment were Jug Wheeler's Drive-In; the Pyper Company, a custom maker of children's dresses; and the Holsum Bread outlet store, all located on Dickson Street. She was tireless in her sewing, crocheting, and knitting, using her talents to create clothes, quilts, dolls, and practical household items. One of her greatest pleasures was getting together with her sisters to make hand-sewn quilts. With her craftwork, meticulous maintenance of home and yard, scouring yard sales for collectibles, early morning walks, collecting recipes and recipe books, and church work, Bernice had few idle moments, which she said was a result of the values instilled by her mother – who always found something for her kids to do. In the middle 1950s, Bernice became a member of Christ's Church, then located on Rock Street (the church's name was later changed to Central Christian Church and it is now located in Springdale). She attended the church regularly, and contributed her tasty deserts to the church's fellowships, until recent years when her health declined. She valued the church and its members, which gave her great joy. Bernice was preceded in death by her husband; her brothers, Raymond, Warren, and Wayne Couch; and her sisters, Helen Couch Wood and Hester Couch Schuster. She is survived by her son, by her younger sister, Charlene Barron, and by several nieces and nephews. Graveside service will be 11 a.m., Saturday, July 11, 2015 at Elm Springs Cemetery under the direction of Nelson-Berna Funeral Home. To sign the online guest book, please visit www.nelsonberna.com.