Haines

Bernice Welker McElwee Haines peacefully passed away of natural causes Saturday in Bedford, Texas, at the age of 93.

Bernice Haines was a warm and generous friend to many, a loving wife and mother as well as an adored grandmother and great-grandmother who instilled in her family the centrality of her strong faith and the importance of helping others.

Born Sept. 4, 1915, in New Castle to F.E. Welker and Verna Welker, she grew up in a large and loving family of 12 children and spent most of her life in Western Pennsylvania.

A gifted vocalist, in her early life she traveled throughout the country with her two sisters in a gospel trio for a number of years. She then worked as a bookkeeper in Fort Smith, Ark., where she met and married G.T. McElwee in 1942.

They returned to New Castle, where they had a son and daughter and where she worked most of her adult life as bookkeeper in her family's nursery business, Welker's Greenhouses, alongside of her three brothers. G.T. McElwee passed away in l966.

In l968, she married Lester S. Haines, who also had a son and daughter. Their combined family now lived in Lower Burrell, and they were members of the New Kensington Baptist Church.

Bernice Haines became a volunteer at Allegheny General Hospital, delivered meals for the Meals on Wheels program and also was an active member of the Lower Burrell Garden Club.

She became a talented artist, painting on china and porcelain, and enthusiastically practiced a variety of crafts, including candle-making and dried flower arranging.

In 2000, the couple moved to a retirement community in Butler. In 2002, they moved to Keller, Texas, where they attended Keller First Baptist Church. Lester Haines passed away in 2006.

Bernice Haines also was preceded in death by her brothers, Elmer Welker, Fred Welker and Kenneth Welker; as well as her sisters, Maxine Cater and Lou Smith.

She is survived by her four children, G. Thomas McElwee, Jr. and his wife, Linda McElwee, of Colleyville, Texas, Kathy (Haines) Janik and her husband, Ed Janik, of New Bethlehem, Pa., Jan McElwee Osborn and her husband, Henry Osborn, of Burbank, Calif., and Curt Haines and his wife, Barbara Haines, of New Cumberland, Pa.; as well as two grandsons, Tom McElwee and his wife, Jamie, and Michael McElwee and his wife, Karen, of Keller, Texas; and four great-grandchildren, Madison, Cole, Parker and Cameron McElwee.

Bernice Haines also is survived by two sisters, Mae Atkins of Orlando, Fla., and Meam Hill of Prescott, Ariz.; as well as four brothers, Russ Welker, Bob Welker, Hank Welker and Richard Welker of Orlando, Fla.

<B>HAINES</B> Viewing and funeral services for Bernice Haines were held today at the <B>Lucas Funeral Home</B>, Keller, Texas.A second service will be conducted at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Cunningham's Funeral Home, 2429 Wilmington Road, New Castle, 724-658-4511, with viewing hours from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Burial will take place at Oak Park Cemetery in New Castle.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in the name of Bernice Haines to the Community Ministry Fund (Account 800-227), First Baptist Church of Keller, 225 Keller Parkway, Keller, TX 76248; phone 817-431-2545. This fund assists regional residents with critical survival needs such as food, housing, etc.