Bernice Vivian Taylor, Lt. Colonel, age 100, USAF retired, formerly of Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, died April 27, 2019, at the Good Shepherd Hospice House in Manhattan.

She was born to Ada Park Taylor and Peter Taylor of rural White Cloud, Kansas, on June 20, 1918.  She graduated from the White Cloud Kansas High School in 1936, and Missouri Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1940.  She joined the American National Nurses in 1940, and as an American National Nurse was called to serve in 1941 and served five months at Camp Funston in Kansas.  In 1942, she joined the US Army as a member of the Los Angeles Medical Group organizing the 73rd Evacuation Hospital. In 1943, she was assigned to the China, Burma, India (CBI) theater, serving with the US and Chinese armies in Burma.  Her patients for 2 years were Chinese soldiers. 

After the war she was stationed with the occupation forces in Japan.  In 1949, she transferred to the US Air Force.  She permanently retired in 1966, as Lieutenant Colonel, by reason of physical disability, with 24 years, 9 months of combined Army and Air Force service, from Elgin Air Base in Florida.  She moved to Manhattan, KS, in 2012 to be closer to family.

Bernice was preceded in death by her parents, five brothers: Orville, Fred, Herman “Mike”, Leo and Ralph; also six nephews and one niece.  She is survived by nieces: Phyllis Taylor of Manhattan, KS, Linda Taylor of California, Judy Holliday of Topeka, KS; and nephews: Donald Taylor, Sr. of Larned, KS, Ronald Taylor of St. Joseph, MO, and Douglas Taylor and David Taylor of Oskaloosa, KS.

Memorial inurnment services with military honors will be at 1:30 PM, Saturday, May 18, 2019 in the Peter Taylor lot in Olive Branch Cemetery, White Cloud, KS.

Online condolences may be left for the family through the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home website at www.ymlfuneralhome.com.

 The Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502, is assisting with local arrangements. Barnett Family Funeral Home of Oskaloosa is assisting with Cemetery inurnment services. www.barnettfamilyfh.com