Our beloved mother, Marie Joyce (Merritt) Bernard 86 of King City, passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 15, 2023.  She was born October 6, 1936, at the home of Mabel Plaskett, to Warren and Mildred Merritt of Jolon.

Marie grew up on the family ranch in the Argyle area of Jolon.  She had many animals growing up and spent many days riding horses with her cousins.  She attended San Antonio school and was a member of the Lockwood 4-H.  She took many animal and non-animal projects to the Salinas Valley Fair.  Marie attended and graduated from King City High School with the Class of 1955.  In high school she was a member of GAA and Future Homemakers of America. She spent many summers at her grandparents, Byrum and Emily George's picking apricots at the family farm in Greenfield.  Marie's uncles helped build some of the concrete canals you can still see on the western end of Greenfield.  Marie's cousin owned the chicken ranch up above the Old Mission School years ago.

After high school Marie attended Hartnell College and was a Telephone and Switchboard Operator with many of her friends in King City.  She married her husband, Emile Bernard Jr. on September 4, 1957 and moved to the family ranch on Oasis Road.  In 1968 Emile and Marie moved their young family of 5 kids to Pine Canyon and she went to work for the new Basic Vegetable Products in King City for 30 years before her retirement in 1998. Marie was always involved in her children's activities, being a Scout Leader and 4-H Leader.  She loved going on school field trips with them.  Marie was an excellent cook and would take many a pies and cakes to family gatherings.  When people from Basic saw her come through the gate at work with her pies and cakes, they would make a bee-line to the lab, because they knew they'd be gone fast.

After retirement, Marie learned to quilt and joined the quilt guild and made many quilts for her family members.  She also could knit and crochet.  She made each of her children and grandchildren afghans.  An additional hobby of hers was genealogy.  This led her to meet a cousin in New York and flew there, by herself, to find out more information about the Merritt side of the family.  She enjoyed her garden and playing Pedro.

Marie is preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 47 years, Emile; her sister, Dorothy and brother, Gerald.

She leaves behind, her brothers, George of King City and Randy of Show Low, Arizona; children, Donna (Don) Carrol; Kevin and Joe, of King City, Audrey (Allen) Green of Hemphill, Texas and Renee (Mike) Ryan of Inyokern, Calif.; 6 grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

A Visitation will be held, 4pm – 7pm, on Monday, July 31, 2023 at Eddington Funeral Services Chapel.  A Graveside Service will be on Tuesday, August 1, 2023 at 11am, in the King City District Cemetery.

For more information, please contact Eddington Funeral Services, 429 Bassett St., King City, (831) 385-5400, www.EFS-Cares.com .