Bernice Tudor, 87, of Midland, died on Saturday, October 16, 2004, Midland. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM Tuesday, October 19, 2004 at the Nalley-Pickle & Welch Chapel in Midland with Rev. Bob Porterfield pastor of Kentucky Baptist Church, officiating. Interment will follow at Ector County Cemetery in Odessa. The family will receive friends on Monday, October 18 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home, 3800 N. Big Spring Street. Bernice was born July 15, 1917 in Rhineland, TX to Willie Martin Hill and Bertha Mae Allen Hill. Her Daddy worked on the 6666 Ranch and the Matador Ranch in Motley County, TX. She married Owen McKelvy Tudor on February 24, 1940 in Dickens, TX. Bernice worked at the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation factory in Fort Worth during WWII along with her sister Helen Hill while Owen served in the Army Air Corp as a tail gunner on a B-25 in the European African Middle Eastern Theater. She and Owen made their home in Snyder, TX from 1950 until 1964 when they moved to Midland. Owen preceded her in death in 1972. Bernice worked as a private sitter for Mrs. Sweetie Boyle for several years. In her retirement, she spent hours visiting with family researching her Chocktaw and Cherokee Indian heritage. She was an excellent seamstress, beginning as a teenager during the Depression sewing all the clothes for herself and four siblings. Her daughter called her a "quilt-a-holic" because of the many beautiful handstiched quilts she made for her family and friends. She is survived by her son Richard D. Tudor and wife Joy of Malakoff, TX and daughter Alice Wood and husband Leonard of Midland. Four grandchildren, Brett McKelvy Sawyer and wife Gerenda, Dara Sawyer, Contessa Tudor Akin and husband Steve and Nicola Tudor, three great-grandchildren, Vanessa Brooke Tudor, Connor Mckelvy Sawyer, and Luke Richard Akin.Surviving siblings are her brother Harley R. Hill of Midland, two sisters Ruth Gaines and husband J.D. of Castroville and Dorothy Washington of Breckenridge, TX. Her sister Helen Meyer and husband Odell of Matador, TX are deceased.Surviving sisters-in-law Adene Tudor Carless and Imogene Tudor Cooksey of Reno, NV and Margie Tudor Cooper of Mineral Wells, TX. Two brothers-in-law, Rupert Tudor of Nevada and Nicholas Tudor Billings, Montana are deceased. Also many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials be made to: Midland Association for Retarded Citizens, 2701 North "A" Midland, TX 79705.Arrangements under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home of Midland. Online condolences can be made at: www.npwelch.com,
