- Date Of Birth: March 26, 1929
- Date Of Death: June 23, 2017
- State: Colorado
Agnes Bernice Gruber
Agnes “Bernice” Gruber, 88, passed away peacefully after a short battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her family and friends as she took the start of her journey to head home. Bernice was born in Toronto, Ontario on March 26, 1929 to Mae and John Eugene “Patsy” Gallagher. She had two sisters, Rita and Betty, and one brother, Jack. Rita married Tom Hughes and had three children Jimmy, Paul, and Evelyn. Her sister Betty passed at a young age. Her brother Jack married Rita. Bernice enjoyed growing up in the “City” of Toronto and spoke fondly of the time she spent with her family and friends on the Island where her friends owned a home by Lake Ontario. Bernice and her friends enjoyed going to dances that they would attend regularly. During her time in Toronto, Bernice honed her lifelong skills as an artist in oil painting which she carried with her throughout her life even painting and taking art classes towards the end of her life. Bernice and her family attended Holy Name Catholic Parish in Toronto where she was baptized and attended school. It was during one of these enjoyable friend events that Bernice met James (Jim) Gruber from Eaton Rapids, Michigan, her future husband. Bernice met Jim when he was asked to escort her at weekend events in South Bend, Indiana. Bernice and Jim spent a long holiday weekend together enjoying various events. The holiday was described by Jim as somewhat magical and he felt she was the person he would marry. He knew she was the right one when they parted on one of their dates in Toronto and he looked back to see her crying when he left. He proposed to her shortly after that and they were married on June 7, 1958 in Toronto. Employment circumstances brought Jim and Bernice to Denver, Colorado where they worked together to build one of the first homes in the Southwood section of Littleton, finding what would be their lifelong home on Cottonwood, Ave., in Littleton. Their home, built in 1958, was almost immediately populated by the sound of a crying baby when James (Vincent) Gruber was born one year later, on October 27, 1959. In the neighborhood around them, Bernice and Jim enjoyed the friendship of many neighbors and colleagues from Jim’s work at Martin-Marietta. They often had bridge parties in which their friends would come and enjoy themselves and compete in that team card game. Very shortly there came two other beautiful boys, Jeffery (Jeff) Allen Gruber, born May 23, 1962 and Steven (Steve) Patrick Gruber, born November 14, 1963.
Family and friends are encourages to share stories and photographs of Bernice here on her website (click appropriate tab on the left side of this page).
