Photo by Howard Owens.
Bernice Yunker was more than a farmer's wife.
Born July 26, 1925 in Mineral City, Ohio, Yunker led an adventurous life -- once biking from Buffalo to and around Conesus Lake -- as a young woman before meeting her future husband, Carl, in Bennington at a small church where her father was pastor. They married in Attica in 1947.
After her time with her family in Buffalo, where her father had been a pastor, and before joining her parents in Bennington, Bernice studied art at Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio, and then at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She worked part-time at the DuPont Plant in Rochester as director of graphics to help the war efforts on the home front.
When the Yunkers married, Carl was already a farmer but a short time later, they acquired 100-acres in Elba and established a home, where they would eventually raise seven children.
The Yunkers quickly established themselves in the community and became active in the Elba Presbyterian Church. Bernice became the first woman to serve on the Elba Central School District Board of Education. She volunteered at church, with the Arc of Genesee County, the Genesee County Nursing Home, and the Hospice of Genesee.
But she is perhaps best known in the community as a talented and creative artist and art teacher. She was a member of the Genesee Arts Council and a founding member of the Batavia of Society of Artists.
In their home on Transit Road in Elba, Carl built an art studio for Bernice. In 2013, she told The Batavian that she was proud to call herself a farmer's wife, hence, the name of her studio -- Farmer's Wife Studio.
She often told her children, “Music and art are the frosting on the cake of life!”
Her husband and their children together built, from that initial 100-acre parcel, one of the largest farm operations -- CY Farms -- in Genesee County, growing crops, raising cattle, and notably operating Batavia Turf Farms.
Mrs. Bernice Dorothea Beisheim Yunker, 98, died peacefully at home with family at her side on January 15, 2024.
Carl Yunker, at age 97, died in 2021.
In her obituary, her family says, "Bernice was the best of moms and also cared for others in the community. She used her creative gift as a visual artist to serve others and honor God. During her 74 years in Elba, Bernice supported Carl, her family and the community with kindness, energy and frankly, a lot of art and art lessons!"
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Elba
Previously:
- CY Farms grew from the good land
- Founder of CY Farms, who loved aviation and serving his community, dies at age 97
Photo by Howard Owens.
