Bernadette Long

Bernadette Long was a woman of such great class, character and compassion for the family she loved more than anything. She was a devoted wife, loving mother and grandmother, and a friend to so many. She also was passionate about the game of golf, a game she loved for the fun and friendship, and the game she shared with the family and friends she loved most of all.

Bernadette's story began on a warm spring day in 1925, in the bustling city of Three Rivers, Michigan. Those were such exciting times in this country, the heyday of the Roaring 20s, when jazz and Big Band music was king and Prohibition was law of the land. There was much to celebrate in 1925, especially for Floyd and Violet (Bingaman) Hagenbuch, who celebrated the birth of a beautiful baby girl on May 1st, a daughter they named Bernadette.

Bernadette was one of six children in the family's Three Rivers home, where her father was the sales manager for Wells Manufacturing, and her German mother raised the children on a tight ship. Her prim and proper mother raised Bernadette to also be very ladylike, and growing up her nickname was always "Miss Neat." She worked hard on her beautiful penmanship, a trait she carried all her days.

The family was very close-knit growing up, and Bernadette's mother was the common bond between them all. They had regular family reunions each year at Thanksgiving and Christmas, a tradition they carried on throughout their lives. They also had reunions in Three Rivers at the Fischer Lake Inn in the summertime, too.

Bernadette displayed a natural talent for sewing when she was a young girl, and even made a beautiful dress for herself in the 10th grade. Her little sister Nola loved it, so Bernadette made one for her, too. Bernadette made some of her clothes for many years.

Bernadette had a childhood boyfriend, all through high school, but when the dark days of World War II began, her love left for the service, ending their relationship. By the time she graduated in 1943, she had grown into a beautiful, proper young woman, and didn't stay single for very long.

She met a man named John Martin, and they began dating and fell in love. They were married in 1949, and it wasn't long before the newlyweds became mother and father, as well. Bernadette was soon blessed with two wonderful boys, Kevin and Roger, who filled her life with such happiness over the years.

Her marriage to John ended in divorce after 10 years, but she wasn't destined to remain alone. She had taken a job as a secretary at the Sutherland Paper Co., where she met a friendly, handsome man named Burnell Long, who worked in human resources. The two formed a friendship, and though he was eight years older, they shared the same birthday, one of the many things they had in common. They also shared quiet and independent personalities, the same religion and philosophy on money, too. Burnell also was going through a divorce, and when both were finalized, they began dating, and quickly realized they were meant to be together. They were married in March of 1960, beginning a beautiful life together.

Burnell treated Bernadette's boys like his own, and in fact adopted them in 1977. The new family did so much together, from dinnertime each night, to the long summer vacations they took each year, visiting everywhere from Washington D.C., to the Grand Canyon, and plenty of places in between.

Bernadette quit working in 1959 to devote her time and energy to raising her sons, and was always there for them to fulfill their wants and needs. When the boys begged Bernadette for a cat, the decidedly non-animal lover said OK, and "Midnight" came to live with them. When they wanted to go play golf (which was always), she dutifully dropped them off, returning four hours later to pick them up, day after day ... until 1973.

One day that year Bernadette grew tired of shuttling the kids to the course, so she decided she'd stay and play, too. She was hooked! She loved the game, loved being outdoors, loved the sportsmanship and the intricacy of the rules. She was always a very neat, proper lady, and golf was such a perfect fit for her sensibilities. She got Burnell to begin playing with her, and the couple played in leagues for 20 years together at Crestview Golf Course, along with her best friends, Catherine and Esther. She was very active in the game, and even got her mother to play for a season - at the age of 75! Bernadette also became the long time secretary of two golf leagues, and played on many leagues each summer over many years including two leagues after turning 81 in 2006.

Bernadette especially loved the 2 hour lunches with her close friends Ester and Catherine. She always looked forward to golfing and spending special times with her friends. They talked about golf and their families.

Of course, family was always most important to Bernadette. She was a deeply devoted daughter, sister, wife and mother. When her mother advanced in age, she drove to Three Rivers every week for many years to help her mom shop and care for her home. When Burnell was admitted to a nursing home, she went to visit him twice a week for three years, until he sadly died in 2001. Bernadette was constantly thinking of others, and helping out wherever she could.

Sadly, she died Tuesday, March 20, 2007, at the Borgess Medical Center.

Bernadette was a wonderful woman, a true lady full of class, character and compassion. She was a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother and grandmother, and a friend to so many. She had a great love for the game of golf, a love second only to her love for family, and her life was blessed with so much of both. She will be greatly missed.

Learn more about Bernadette, view her Life Story film, and visit with her family and friends on Friday from 4:00-8:00 PM at the LIFE STORY FUNERAL HOME, Betzler-Kalamazoo 375-2900 where services will be held Saturday 11:00 AM. Interment in Mt. Ever-Rest Memorial Park, North. She was preceded in death by her husband, Francis Burnell Long in 2001; and by a son, Kevin Martin. Member's of her family include her son, Roger (Shawna) Martin of White Lake; three grandchildren: Kyle, Andy and Josh; two step children: David (Phyllis) Long of Fenton and Ann Steele of Kentwood; seven step grandchildren: Michael, Patrick, Thomas, Jerry, Mike, Michelle and Lisa; five siblings: Delores (Bill) Hagenbuch, Floyd (Bobbi) Hagenbuch, Nola (Joe) Crain, Kurt (Diane) Hagenbuch, and Jerry (Carol) Hagenbuch all of Three Rivers; and many nieces and nephews. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can share a favorite memory or photo of Bernadette, sign her online guest book or make memorial contributions to the Arthritis Foundation or American Lung Association.