Bernice Zimmerman Bayne, age 88, entered into eternal life on December 4, 2020, at the Comanche County Hospital.  She was the daughter of Jake and Stella (Baker) Zimmerman and was born on the family farm near Protection on February 2, 1932.

She attended Collier Flats grade school, along with her sisters and many of her cousins, and went on to graduate from Protection High School in 1949.

On March 3, 1950, she married Bill Bayne, in her parents' home in the country. God blessed Bill and Bernice with four children, Randy, Teresa, Susan and Mike.

As a lifelong member of Protection Mennonite Church, she enjoyed teaching children's Sunday School classes, leading Bible studies and sewing and quilting with the women in the church.

Bernice loved the time she spent serving on the Hospice Board as well as many fond times with the Red Hat Club and the Ladies Pitch Club. She worked as a bookkeeper for Loucks Service Station and also managed Centennial Courts for many years.

Bernice and Bill were very blessed to spend 70 years together. They loved family vacations in Colorado, Santa Fe, New Mexico and one family favorite was attending the World's Fair in San Antonio Texas in 1968.

Bernice loved supporting her children and grandchildren through the years. She especially enjoyed the football, basketball, baseball, and softball games.  Her grandchildren still reminisce over the fond memories from the summers they spent with their grandparents on the family farm.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Jake and Stella (Baker) Zimmerman; her two sisters, Mary (Zimmerman) Willems and Jean (Zimmerman) Schultz.

She is survived by her husband, Bill Bayne; her four children, Randy, Teresa, Susan (Jim) Doherty of Georgetown, TX,  Mike (Suze) Bayne of Spearfish SD; her 11 grandchildren, Shane Doherty, Nicale (Bayne) Ney, Jeremy Doherty, Kasey Bayne, Jennifer (Doherty) Guidry, Joshua Doherty, Carly (Bayne) Speidel, Nathan Bayne, Reagan Bayne, Taylor Bayne and Waylon Bayne;  her 17 ½ great-grandchildren and her younger sister, Wilma (Zimmerman) Willems of Craig, CO.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials to: Pioneer Lodge; Comanche County Hospital; Hospice and/or the Protection Mennonite Church in care of Hatfield-Prusa Funeral Home, PO Box 417, Coldwater, KS. 67029.

A memorial graveside service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, June 5, 2021, at the Protection Cemetery, with Pastor Dillon Evans presiding.