Bernice Weaver

BERNICE JOHNSON WEAVER was born to the late Samuel Johnson and Maggie Buckson Johnson on February 7, 1927 in Fairfield, South Carolina. She was the fifteenth child of sixteen children born from this union. Bernice was peacefully called from service to reward on Good Friday, March 29, 2013. Bernice received her primary education in the Saint Mary’s Presbyterian School in Blackstock, South Carolina. She later went on to attend Finley High School in Chester, South Carolina. Bernice accepted Christ and became a soldier for the Lord at an early age. She started her mission for God by becoming a member of Saint Mary’s Presbyterian Church, where she served faithfully until she and her family moved to Baltimore, Maryland in 1945. After they moved to Baltimore, Bernice and her family joined the Knox Presbyterian Church under the leadership of the late Octavian Grimm. A few years later Bernice found love when she met Billy Weaver. They later married on December 24, 1950 and six children were born from their union. After Billy and Bernice were married, Bernice joined the Friendship Baptist Church with her husband under the leadership of the late Harry Jackson. During her tenure at Friendship, Bernice was a very active member. She was a part of many ministries but since she loved to sing, her most memorable ministries she participated in were the Vocal Choir and the Senior Choir. Bernice labored at Friendship for many years. However, in 1988, God directed her to join the Southern Friendship Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor John D. Torbit, Jr. After joining Southern Friendship she continued to participate in her singing ministries but she also became a member of the Missionary Ministry and was later appointed to the Deaconess Board. Bernice was employed by the C&P Telephone Company, where she worked for many years until she retired in the late 1980s, but her retirement would not last long. Shortly after retiring, her husband Billy became very ill and Bernice spent her retirement years caring for her sick husband until his death in 1993. Bernice loved the Lord! She would start every morning with a long prayer to God, followed by the Lord’s Prayer, followed by recitation of two of her favorite scriptures, the 23rd Psalm and John 14. She loved spending the afternoon before work, talking on the phone to her siblings and friends, cooking dinner for her family while watching her game shows and her “stories.” Bernice lived a long and fulfilling life! Fourteen of her siblings, her husband Billy and two daughters, Jeanette Weaver and Cora Jeffries preceded her in death. She leaves to mourn: one daughter, Janis Harris; three sons, William, Kelavin and Eugene Weaver; two sons-in-law, Arthur Harris and Bruce Jeffries; one sister, Thomasine Johnson; two sisters-in-law, Mattie Johnson and Willa Mae Johnson; ten grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, one great-great-granddaughter; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends.

Tributes

Bernice Weaver

February 7, 1927 - March 29, 2013