Extracted from The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)
Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Bernice Whittington Bass ``Bea'' Vanwagner

A longtime resident of the Busy Corner community near Gloster, Miss., she died Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009, at her daughter's home in Gonzales. She was born on Dec. 31, 1922, to parents, Jim ``Buck'' Whittington and Myrtis Rebecca Graves Whittington. She was 86 and worked as a sales clerk for the T.W.L. store in Gloster.

Survived by her husband of 15 years, William Samuel Vanwagner; two daughters, Marie Bass Touchstone Cain and husband Rayford, of Gloster, and Cynthia Bass Lofton and husband Bobby, of Prairieville; stepson, William Allen Vanwagner and wife Dianne, of McComb, Miss.; two stepdaughters, Joyce Vanwagner Harmond, of Nashville, Tenn., and Patricia Vanwagner Smith; sister, Mae Whittington Butler, of Prairieville; two granddaughters, Antoinette Touchstone Nunnery and husband Gene, of St. Francisville, and Skylar Touchstone Nickens and husband Jonathan, of Gonzales; two grandsons, Jason Dwayne Lofton and wife Charlena, of St. Amant, and Bradley Gene Lofton, of Prairieville; three great-granddaughters, Miranda and Sarah Nunnery, of St. Francisville, and Rayne Lofton, of St. Amant; three great-grandsons, Nathaniel and Madison Nickens, of Gonzales, and Montana Lofton, of St. Amant; and numerous stepgrandchildren and stepgreat-grandchildren.

Preceded in death by her parents, Jim Buck and Myrtis Rebecca Graves Whittington; husband of 54 years, Steve Van Bass; four brothers, J.B. Whittington, Floyd Whittington, Jewell Hollis Whittington and Grady Whittington, and sister, Versie Freeman.

A special thanks to Dr. Cary Aguillard and staff, Southern Care Hospice, and special friends and family.

Visiting will be at Brown Funeral Home, Gloster, on Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Visiting at the Mary Springs Church of God Prophecy, near Gloster, where she was a member, on Wednesday from 9 a.m. until service at 11 a.m., conducted by the Rev. Danny Cook, the Rev. C.B. Wiley and the Rev. Scott Wilson. Interment in Talbert Cemetery, near Gloster.

Pallbearers will be Jason Lofton, Brad Lofton, Nathaniel Nickens, Gene Nunnery, Johnathan Nickens, Kevin Cernich and Charles Freeman. Honorary pallbearers are Madison Nickens and Montana Lofton.