Berneice M. Collins, 102, of Sterling, passed away Tuesday, January 29, 2019. A celebration of life service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, February 9 at Chaney-Reager Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Riverside Cemetery.

Berneice was the first child of Harvey A. and Mary E. (Priebe) Smith, born on February 27, 1916 in Hastings, NE. She was the big sister to five brothers born over the years in Hastings and Haxtun, CO, where the Smith family eventually settled.  She graduated from Haxtun High School in 1934.

A farm southeast of Dailey, CO was home for Ralph and Berneice Frank after they were married on September 11, 1935. Their daughters Charlotte, Lois, and Doris were her "pride and joy" as she noted on the back of a photograph of the girls taken at grandson Jim's eighth grade promotion.  The family suffered a tragic loss with Ralph's death in 1956.  Berneice was forever grateful for the love and support they received from family and community during those difficult times.  She earned her nursing certification and worked as a nurse at the Haxtun hospital.  She enjoyed watching her daughters start their own families.  She loved her grandchildren.

Berneice married Carl Collins on December 30, 1964. They lived in Toledo, OH where Carl had taken a position with the University of Toledo.  Berneice also worked at the university while the couple was in Toledo.  While they enjoyed their time there, each summer Carl and Berneice returned to Colorado for an extended visit with family, much to the anticipation and joy of the grandchildren.  Upon Carl's retirement, the couple moved to Fort Collins in 1977.  They had many good years there until Carl's health forced a move to Sterling, where he passed away in December 1999.  Berneice remained in Sterling, living independently and actively with the help of her daughters.  She moved into The Bee Hive assisted living facility in 2015, where she enjoyed the rest of her life.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Harvey and Mary Smith; husbands, Ralph Frank and Carl Collins; brothers, Richard, Harold "Lefty", Clarence, Eugene, and Leonard Smith; sons-in-law, Larry Orth, Larry Barkley, and Bob Cunningham; and grandsons, Ty Lee Orth and Doug Cunningham.

Berneice is survived by her daughters, Lois Orth, Doris Barkley, and Charlotte Cunningham; grandchildren, Scott (Sandy) Cunningham, Tammy Cunningham, Lori Lundgren, Jim (Susan) Orth, Linda (Oliver) Turman, Julie Brown, Wendy (Dan) Schulz, Eric Barkley, and Rick (Katy) Barkley; great-grandchildren, Jacob (Amy) Cunningham, Brian Cunningham, Ashley (Jeremy) Peden, Sarah (Mark) Grauberger, Jessica (Mike) Werner, Derek (Tori) Lundgren, Courtney Lundgren, Austin and Tanner Orth, Isaiah, Christian and Genesis Turman, Darrin (Raehonna) Lambert, Danielle Lambert, Megan and Molly Brown, Daisy and Luke Barkley; great-great grandchildren, Trevor and Drew Cunningham, Max and Mason Grauberger, Lainey Werner, Zach Peden, Douglas Lambert and Jack Lundgren; many extended family members and friends.