Berniece Fransen Smith

January 4, 1926 –

August 27, 2018

Our sweet mom passed away inher sleep early Monday morning, August 27, 2018. Berniece was born at home in Thornton, Idaho. She was the youngest of eight children born to Carl and Edith Fransen. She was very close to her dad and she would always tell us stories about him and how he would call her Dolly. Mom grew up during the Great Depression and World War II which taught her to have a great appreciation for everything she had.

She attended high school in Rexburg, Idaho and later moved to California where she worked as a telephone operator where they would route the calls by plugging lines into a switch board. She loved to go the Lawrence Welk Show studios to dance and she loved music. She later moved back to Idaho to help take care of her mother.

She married Joseph H. "Doty" Smith on February 13, 1958 in the Idaho Falls Temple located in Idaho Falls, Idaho. They met on blind date that was set up by one of Doty's cousins who was married to one of Berniece's cousin. They moved to Whitehall, Montana where they raised 4,000 chickens and sold eggs for a while but they quit that and expanded the dairy farm and raised cattle and hay. For a while Bernice also worked as a secretary for the town's doctor, Dr. Hill.

Together they had four children Mel (Susan) Smith, Taunja Bartram, Bridget (Lynn) Martinez and Kyra (Rick) Williams. She was a grandmother to 14 grandchildren.

Mom was a very kind and thoughtful person, loved helping others, made friends easily, and hated snakes. It wasn't unusual to see her praying before she went to bed and reading her scriptures. She will be missed dearly.

We would like to thank the wonderful people that took care of her at the Beehive Home in Missoula, MT especially Shelby and Angie who were with her the longest. Maddy, Tomorrow, Sophie and Bonnie are also cherished as loving caregivers to mom during her stay at Beehive. At mom's request, graveside services were held with immediate family at the Whitehall Cemetery in Whitehall, MT where she was laid to rest next to Doty.