Bernice Guinn died last week at the age of 76. She was one of seven children, two of whom preceded her in death. In addition, she is survived by two daughters and two sons, and several grandchildren.
Family mattered to Bernice, but life was not easy for the mother, who, in addition to cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry, worked outside the home at jobs that usually never paid a lot of money.
You could call Bernice a professional cook, as that is how she made her living and raised her family. She worked as a dietician at the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, Asbury Center, and Hillview Health Center. “She filled in at times at some of the other nursing homes,” her son, Mike, said.
“From the time she was big enough to do anything she helped my mother in the kitchen,” said R.L. Hambrick, Bernice’s brother. “She learned to cook from our mother and both of her grandmothers. They all enjoyed trying to outdo each other with their cooking. Some of their favorite dishes were chicken and dumplings, kraut dumplings, and cornbread. Bernice, like my mother, cooked good country meals. Sunday meals were a big deal when we were growing up and their cooking and rivalry helped make them special.”
“It was something that came natural to her. It was how she made her living. She took what she knew how to do best, and got paid to do it,” R.L. shared. “She seemed to be happiest when she was in the kitchen, cooking a meal.”
Mike noted that his mother never used a recipe. “When we were going through her things this past weekend, we never found one recipe, not even one scribbled on paper. She just knew the secret to making good food. Cooking was all she ever did,” said Mike.
Bernice, however, did work a brief time at the old Pharmaseal plant, where they made rubber gloves. One of her first jobs was working as a car hop at the old Dutch Maid on West Elk Avenue. She was also a short-order cook there. Bernice also worked for a short time at the old bus station on E Street.
Although she never made a lot of money cooking, it was a labor of love.
“Like Uncle R.L. said, she learned from the best. Her Grandmother Hambrick was a cook at the old Oak Grove School. One of her favorite recipes was the no-bake oatmeal cookies. My mom made those, too,” Mike shared.
He also remembers his mom’s gravy and biscuits — “the best.”
“She would get up and begin breakfast and head out to work. My dad would usually finish breakfast. When she came home in the evening, she made supper for us,” Mike said. “She never seemed to tire of cooking. It was her passion.”
Among the many stories he recalls his mother sharing was during World War II in the 1940s when many foods were rationed or in short supply, she and her mother used goose eggs to make cakes.
Bernice was very family-oriented and doted on her grandchildren. “When there was a new grandbaby or great-grandbaby, she couldn’t wait to hold it,” Mike said. Her obituary listed eight grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
“My mother was committed to her family. She was always the same, never letting hard times get her down. She was also a generous person, always giving more than she got back. Mom was also a people person, and loved to laugh. She knew how to have fun without spending a lot of money,” Mike shared.
One of his favorite memories was once when he and his brother were washing dishes. “We were fooling around, and she had one of her best platters in her hand when she took it and popped me on the head. Guess what? It broke. We all just laughed,” he said.
Food — it was one of the ways Bernice Guinn not only showed love for her family, but for others as well. It was a big part of her recipe for happiness and success.