Bernice ‘Bea’ Slaske, 89
Bernice ‘Bea’ Slaske, age 89, of Stevens Point, passed away Monday afternoon March 8, 2021, at Whispering Pines Living Center in Plover, where she has resided since January.
A private Mass of Christian Burial for Bea was held at St. Stephen Catholic Church. The funeral Mass and the recitation of the Rosary will be available for viewing on Bea’s webpage at www.shudafuneral.com.
Bea was born September 10, 1931, in Beaver Dam, Wis., the daughter of William and Susan (Rauch) Kumba. She graduated from Beaver Dam High School in 1949.
Bea married Joseph Slaske on September 2, 1950, at St. Peter Catholic Church in Beaver Dam. The couple settled in Stevens Point after their marriage.
Bea had always desired to go to college. Though she never obtained a college diploma, she had a Ph.D. in Motherhood! She made every event more meaningful with her own special touches and she made it look easy. She made costumes for the Stevens Point Junior Civic Ballet, served as a Girl Scout leader, and loved to host guests at the family home.
Bea also worked part-time as the girls grew older, including working for the Stevens Point School System lunch program. In 1976 the family moved to Eau Claire, and Bea was an active member of the Immaculata Society at Immaculate Conception Parish and worked at Nelson’s Card and Gift as a cashier. In 1989, Bea and Joe moved to manage the Loring Green East Condominium complex in downtown Minneapolis.
Upon retiring in 1993 they returned to Stevens Point. Bea served as a Eucharistic Minister for St. Stephen Church and was a member of the St. Anne Society at St. Joseph Church. Together Joe and Bea enjoyed traveling, bowling, golfing, playing cards, and dancing. They celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2000 with a memorable celebration with family and friends. Bea also enjoyed baking, sewing, and playing games on the computer, but most of all being with her beloved family.
Bea is survived by her four daughters: Geralynn ‘Lynn’ (Walt) Rasmussen, Plover; Donna (Carl) Lien, Eau Claire; Pamela (Rob) Brantner, Eau Claire; Tina (Mike Dalgetty) Beck-Dalgetty, Great Mills, MD. Five grandchildren: Steven Beck, Kristen (Jonathan) DeMauro, John (Aryka) Beck, Gregory Beck, Angelo Brantner. And one great-grandchild: Faustina DeMauro. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Joseph in 2009, and all of her brothers and sisters: Evelyn Kumba, Eleanor Mersch, Alfred Kumba, Herbert Kumba, Margaret Kumba, Lucille Schmidt-Scheel, Dorothy Foster, William Kumba Jr, and Lorraine Billingslea.
The family requests memorials in honor of Bernice be directed to St. Stephen Catholic Church in Stevens Point.
The family would like to extend our appreciation to the staff at Whispering Pines Living Center, The Lodge at Whispering Pines, and Ascension Hospice for their extraordinary, compassionate, loving care of our mom.