Bernice Lemke Goodwin

Bernice Maydell Lemke Goodwin passed away on September 9, 2026, at the age of 100 in the warmth of family and friends. She leaves behind a lifetime of memories and, more importantly, those who loved her deeply and will carry her memory in their hearts forever.

Bernice was born on May 13, 1926, on a farm in Yorktown, Texas, to Esther Leona (Jonischkies) Lemke and Benjamin Carl Lemke. She had an older sister Dorothy, and their early years were spent in Yorktown and Sugar Land, Texas. Bernice lost her mother when she was only ten years old. Her father later married Josephine Caroline Grifin and she welcomed her younger sisters, Barbara and Johnnie Mae. The family moved to Galveston and, at age sixteen, Bernice began working for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company as a telephone operator which led to a 44-year career.

In 1957, Bernice met James Miller Goodwin. They married on November 28, 1957, and started their life together in Houston. Bernice and Jim’s first son, James Jr., was born in 1959, and six years later Robert joined the family. Jim was the love of Bernice’s life, and their marriage brought her the family she had always dreamed of having.

Jim passed away on June 9, 2011. Although his death left an enormous space in her life, Bernice continued forward with the same strength and determination that had carried her through so many chapters of her life. The love they shared remained with her.

In her later years, Bernice’s greatest joy was her family. She was blessed with three grandchildren, Justin, Ali, and Maddie whom she loved dearly. Bernice loved crafting and she was a member of the AT&T Pioneers Volunteer Group where she met many lifelong friends. She was an avid sports fan especially football and basketball and would talk on the phone with her sister Johnnie Mae during Texans games.

Bernice is survived by her son James Goodwin Jr and his wife Laura, son Robert Goodwin and his wife Julie, grandchildren Ali, Maddie and Justin and his wife Jacque, and sister Johnnie Mae Houchins.