Person:Martha Hawkins (31)

      Berniece, born 20 April 1903 in Tipton County, Indiana, was the eighth child of Jonas and Louisa (Turner) Hawkins. After graduating from Sharpsville High School in 1921 she studied at Butler University and the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music in Indianapolis (B.M. in Music Education) and became a very accomplished pianist. She was invited to tour with a group of the schools graduates, but her father did not think it the correct thing for a proper young lady to be doing. 
     Bernice first married Daniel Irving Day, who had graduated from Sharpsville in 1920. They had one child, a daughter, Patricia Lou, born 28 November 1924. They were divorced, and on 20 May 1928 Bernice  married Samuel Rufus Bollenbacher. Sam and Bernice had one son, Samuel Kent, born 9 December 1939. 
     When they were first married they lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana where Sam worked for the Ft. Wayne Sentinel, and Berniece worked for Wolfe & Dessauers. During the depression in the early 1930's, they lost their jobs and returned to Sharpsville. With their daughter Patti they moved into the tenant house on Jonas' west farm (known as the VanBibber place). Sam, a World War I veteran with a disability, eventually got a job with the State Highway Department. When Bernice finally got a job teaching in Sharpsville, at $120 per month, they moved into the house in Sharpsville, that "Buck" and Helen (Hawkins) Wilson (a niece) later bought.  
     Bernice was teaching music, art, and physical education when she started at the Sharpsville school, but later taught only music. She was Charles Henzie's (he later become a Butler University professor) practice teacher, and together they started the first school band. Margaret "Peg" Hawkins played trombone, Betty (Hawkins) Dark played trumpet, Patti Day played clarinet, and at some time almost every member of the Hawkins clan that attended Sharpsville would become a member of the band. Bernice taught at Sharpsville from about 1936 to 1939, at Tipton High School from 1942 to 1946, and at Southside in Miami Florida from 1959 until 1963. During all of this time she gave private lessons. 
     Source: HAWKINS From Tipton County Indiana A Migrating American Family 1861-2001 by Phillip A. Hawkins ©2002.

Obituary in the Kokomo, Indiana Tribune 31 December 1974.

    Mrs. Bernice H. Bollenbacher, 71, of Sharpsville and Miami, Florida, died at 12 noon Monday in turtle Creek convalescent center. She had been a resident there one month.
    Born April 20, 1903, in Tipton County, She Was the Daughter of Jonas and Louisa (Turner) Hawkins. She Was Married May 20, 1928 to Samuel R. Bollenbacher who Preceded Her in Death August 3, 1973.
    She Received a BS Degree in Music from Butler University and Attended Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music in Indianapolis. She Taught Music in Sharpsville, Tipton, [IN] and Miami, Florida. She organized the first Sharpsville high school band with Dr. Charles Henzie of Butler University.
    She was a member of the American Legion auxiliary in Miami, Florida and Sharpsville, the 8 and 40 club of Miami, The Coral Gables, Florida, Senior Citizens, Sigma Delta Phi Teachers Sorority at Tipton and the H&H Club of Sharpsville.
    Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Harvey (Patricia) Hallagan of Indianapolis; a son, Sammy K. Bollenbacher of Hollywood, Florida; two sisters, Mrs. JS (Koral) DeVault of Tipton and Mrs. Haynes (Marjorie) Sleeth of Kokomo; a brother, J. Mont Hawkins of Sharpsville, R. R. 2. A brother and three sisters preceded her in death.
    The funeral will be at 2 PM Thursday in Warner Funeral home, Sharpsville, with the Rev. Benjamin Antle officiating. Burial will be in Sharpsville Cemetery. Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 6 to 9 PM Wednesday.

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