Bernice R. "Kittie" Rea

1887 - 1958  (70 years)

• Name	Bernice R. "Kittie" Rea
  Born	20 Jun 1887	Viroqua, Vernon County, Wisconsin
  Gender	Female
  Died	7 May 1958	San Diego, California
  Person ID	P44559616	My Genealogy
  Last Modified	10 Feb 2010

  
  

  Father	Alfred Amberson Rea,   b. 16 Sep 1854, Oshkosh, Winnebago, Wisconsin, United States ,   d. 16 Dec 1913, City Hospital, Buffalo, Erie County, New York  (Age 59 years)
  Mother	Alla L. Hill,   b. Wisconsin, United States
  Married	4 Dec 1879	Sparta, Monroe County, Wisconsin
  Divorced	Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F111	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Stephen John Harmeling,   b. 19 Feb 1881, East Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey ,   d. 14 Jan 1919, San Jose, Santa Clara County, California  (Age 37 years)
  Children	1. John Llewellyn Harmeling,   b. 28 Mar 1907, Seattle, Washington ,   d. 26 Mar 1993, San Marcos, San Diego County, California  (Age 85 years)   2. Vivian Harmeling
  Last Modified	21 Jul 2019
  Family ID	F3462	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Bernice appears, as a girl of about 10, in a photo (circa 1897) with Ida Graves, her cousin. The photo was taken in Viroqua, Wisconsin, where both families lived. The photo can be viewed here: http://www.familyoldphotos.com/4c/2k/kittie_rea_and_ida_graves.htm. Kittie is on the right. According to the California Death Index, 1940-1997, Bernice's middle initial was "R" and her married name was Harmeling. It also states her date of birth as 20 June 1887, rather than the 1880 I got from a cousin in Minnesota, and her date and place of death was 7 May 1958 in San Diego, California. The document also states that her mother's maiden name was Hill. The 1910 census shows Bernice, age 25, as the wife of Stephen J. Harmeling, age 29. They were living in Seattle, Washington and their son John L. Harmeling was 3 years old. Stephen's occupation was teacher. According to the 1930 census, Bernice was a widow, living in an aprtment house she owned and operated in San Jose, Santa Clara County, California. She was 42 and living with her was her son John (23) and her daughter Vivian (12). John's occupation was a candy maker in a candy store and he is listed as not being a veteran. Both John and Vivian were born in California. The 1920 census shows Bernice as a widow, age 35, living in and managing the same apartment house as in 1930. The census also show a son, Llewellyn, age 12. Llewellyn's birthplace is given as Washington. I believe this to be John Llewellyn Harmeling and the census taker either didn't hear John's first name or he got lazy and left it out. So, there were just two children: John and Vivian. The 1920 census also shows Bernice's uncle Frank Hill living with her, age 60, an architect whose parents were from New York. Found in the SSDI is a John Harmeling who died in San Marcos, San Diego County, California March 26, 1993. He was born March 28, 1907, son of Bernice and her husband. Bernice would have been about 27 years old at the time of this John's birth. AAlso found in the SSDI is a Naomi Harmeling who may have been John's wife. She was probably born in Ohio, as that's where her SSN was issued, and she was born March 31, 1912. She died in San Marcos, San Diego County, California 90278 on September 30, 2000. She is buried in Memory Gardens Cemetery in San Diego. According to the California Death Index, Bernice's husband was S. J. Harmeling, who died January 14, 1919 at age 36.