Wichita Eagle, Friday, July 4, 1985
‘Bun' Billinger's Hands Spread Love
By Sharon Hamric
Staff Writer
Bernice "Bun" Billinger used her "huge, huge hands" to leave her mark on Wichita.
"She had the biggest hands of any woman I've seen in the world," her nephew, Lewis Billinger, said Thursday. "She had huge, huge hands.
"She did everything: woodcarving, ceramics. She was into photography. But mostly you could say her life was 95 years of making people happy. She had so many careers."
Miss Billinger died Tuesday at Presbyterian Manor at age 95.
Her first career in Wichita was as a sixth-grade teacher at the old Carlton Elementary School. After her ninth year of teaching, she took a summer job as a saleswoman in the Grit Printing Co. and ended up staying for 41 years.
Miss Billinger's next project was to establish the Economy Corner thrift shop at the First Presbyterian Church. The shop continues to thrive nearly 20 years later.
"Bun" Billinger, as her loved ones called her, was the oldest member of the First Presbyterian Church, where she had been a member for 82 years.
"The church was the most important thing in her life," said a niece, Eleanor Marsh of Prairie Village. "She was involved in everything. The church suppers, the dining room. She'd make decorations and plan the menus. Oh, she could cook. She could do anything."
Miss Billinger drove her beloved '45 Chevrolet for many years and continued driving until age 89. She lived alone alone for 45 years in the Bel Aire Apartments on East Douglas until she was 87, when she moved to Presbyterian Manor retirement home.
"Even after she retired she was very, very active," said Lewis Billinger's wife, Mary. "She loved to carve wood and make picture frames. She'd give them to people. She did beautiful china paintings. Our daughter still has a bedspread she wove for her crib."
Marsh said her aunt collaborated with noted woodcarver Houston Barclay to create carvings for the chapel of the Cowtown Museum.
"She also did all the weaving for the runner in the chapel," Marsh said.
Lewis Billinger said his aunt's life centered on helping others and the First Presbyterian Church.
"The church was her entire life," he said. "She was a maiden lady. Her hobby was taking care of other folks and doing nice things for people. She loved her nieces and nephews especially, but she would just do anything for anybody."
Miss Billinger was also a lifetime member of the Wichita Historical Museum and the Twentieth Century Club and a charter member of the Carnation Club.
She spent her first 12 years on the family farm in Garden Plains helping care for her five brothers and sisters. Her father, John Billinger, founded Wichita's first paving contractor firm and helped build Douglas Avenue.
"She was in excellent health until just two or three years ago and had three major surgeries. Until then she had been very, very active," Lewis Billinger said.
Services are at 1 p.m. today at First Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include nephews Lewis and Max Billinger, both of Wichita, and John Love of Oklahoma City; and nieces Eleanor Marsh and Jean Moore, both of Prairie Village.
‘Bun' Billinger's Hands Spread Love
By Sharon Hamric
Staff Writer
Bernice "Bun" Billinger used her "huge, huge hands" to leave her mark on Wichita.
"She had the biggest hands of any woman I've seen in the world," her nephew, Lewis Billinger, said Thursday. "She had huge, huge hands.
"She did everything: woodcarving, ceramics. She was into photography. But mostly you could say her life was 95 years of making people happy. She had so many careers."
Miss Billinger died Tuesday at Presbyterian Manor at age 95.
Her first career in Wichita was as a sixth-grade teacher at the old Carlton Elementary School. After her ninth year of teaching, she took a summer job as a saleswoman in the Grit Printing Co. and ended up staying for 41 years.
Miss Billinger's next project was to establish the Economy Corner thrift shop at the First Presbyterian Church. The shop continues to thrive nearly 20 years later.
"Bun" Billinger, as her loved ones called her, was the oldest member of the First Presbyterian Church, where she had been a member for 82 years.
"The church was the most important thing in her life," said a niece, Eleanor Marsh of Prairie Village. "She was involved in everything. The church suppers, the dining room. She'd make decorations and plan the menus. Oh, she could cook. She could do anything."
Miss Billinger drove her beloved '45 Chevrolet for many years and continued driving until age 89. She lived alone alone for 45 years in the Bel Aire Apartments on East Douglas until she was 87, when she moved to Presbyterian Manor retirement home.
"Even after she retired she was very, very active," said Lewis Billinger's wife, Mary. "She loved to carve wood and make picture frames. She'd give them to people. She did beautiful china paintings. Our daughter still has a bedspread she wove for her crib."
Marsh said her aunt collaborated with noted woodcarver Houston Barclay to create carvings for the chapel of the Cowtown Museum.
"She also did all the weaving for the runner in the chapel," Marsh said.
Lewis Billinger said his aunt's life centered on helping others and the First Presbyterian Church.
"The church was her entire life," he said. "She was a maiden lady. Her hobby was taking care of other folks and doing nice things for people. She loved her nieces and nephews especially, but she would just do anything for anybody."
Miss Billinger was also a lifetime member of the Wichita Historical Museum and the Twentieth Century Club and a charter member of the Carnation Club.
She spent her first 12 years on the family farm in Garden Plains helping care for her five brothers and sisters. Her father, John Billinger, founded Wichita's first paving contractor firm and helped build Douglas Avenue.
"She was in excellent health until just two or three years ago and had three major surgeries. Until then she had been very, very active," Lewis Billinger said.
Services are at 1 p.m. today at First Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include nephews Lewis and Max Billinger, both of Wichita, and John Love of Oklahoma City; and nieces Eleanor Marsh and Jean Moore, both of Prairie Village.
Wichita Eagle, Friday, July 4, 1985
‘Bun' Billinger's Hands Spread Love
By Sharon Hamric
Staff Writer
Bernice "Bun" Billinger used her "huge, huge hands" to leave her mark on Wichita.
"She had the biggest hands of any woman I've seen in the world," her nephew, Lewis Billinger, said Thursday. "She had huge, huge hands.
"She did everything: woodcarving, ceramics. She was into photography. But mostly you could say her life was 95 years of making people happy. She had so many careers."
Miss Billinger died Tuesday at Presbyterian Manor at age 95.
Her first career in Wichita was as a sixth-grade teacher at the old Carlton Elementary School. After her ninth year of teaching, she took a summer job as a saleswoman in the Grit Printing Co. and ended up staying for 41 years.
Miss Billinger's next project was to establish the Economy Corner thrift shop at the First Presbyterian Church. The shop continues to thrive nearly 20 years later.
"Bun" Billinger, as her loved ones called her, was the oldest member of the First Presbyterian Church, where she had been a member for 82 years.
"The church was the most important thing in her life," said a niece, Eleanor Marsh of Prairie Village. "She was involved in everything. The church suppers, the dining room. She'd make decorations and plan the menus. Oh, she could cook. She could do anything."
Miss Billinger drove her beloved '45 Chevrolet for many years and continued driving until age 89. She lived alone alone for 45 years in the Bel Aire Apartments on East Douglas until she was 87, when she moved to Presbyterian Manor retirement home.
"Even after she retired she was very, very active," said Lewis Billinger's wife, Mary. "She loved to carve wood and make picture frames. She'd give them to people. She did beautiful china paintings. Our daughter still has a bedspread she wove for her crib."
Marsh said her aunt collaborated with noted woodcarver Houston Barclay to create carvings for the chapel of the Cowtown Museum.
"She also did all the weaving for the runner in the chapel," Marsh said.
Lewis Billinger said his aunt's life centered on helping others and the First Presbyterian Church.
"The church was her entire life," he said. "She was a maiden lady. Her hobby was taking care of other folks and doing nice things for people. She loved her nieces and nephews especially, but she would just do anything for anybody."
Miss Billinger was also a lifetime member of the Wichita Historical Museum and the Twentieth Century Club and a charter member of the Carnation Club.
She spent her first 12 years on the family farm in Garden Plains helping care for her five brothers and sisters. Her father, John Billinger, founded Wichita's first paving contractor firm and helped build Douglas Avenue.
"She was in excellent health until just two or three years ago and had three major surgeries. Until then she had been very, very active," Lewis Billinger said.
Services are at 1 p.m. today at First Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include nephews Lewis and Max Billinger, both of Wichita, and John Love of Oklahoma City; and nieces Eleanor Marsh and Jean Moore, both of Prairie Village.
‘Bun' Billinger's Hands Spread Love
By Sharon Hamric
Staff Writer
Bernice "Bun" Billinger used her "huge, huge hands" to leave her mark on Wichita.
"She had the biggest hands of any woman I've seen in the world," her nephew, Lewis Billinger, said Thursday. "She had huge, huge hands.
"She did everything: woodcarving, ceramics. She was into photography. But mostly you could say her life was 95 years of making people happy. She had so many careers."
Miss Billinger died Tuesday at Presbyterian Manor at age 95.
Her first career in Wichita was as a sixth-grade teacher at the old Carlton Elementary School. After her ninth year of teaching, she took a summer job as a saleswoman in the Grit Printing Co. and ended up staying for 41 years.
Miss Billinger's next project was to establish the Economy Corner thrift shop at the First Presbyterian Church. The shop continues to thrive nearly 20 years later.
"Bun" Billinger, as her loved ones called her, was the oldest member of the First Presbyterian Church, where she had been a member for 82 years.
"The church was the most important thing in her life," said a niece, Eleanor Marsh of Prairie Village. "She was involved in everything. The church suppers, the dining room. She'd make decorations and plan the menus. Oh, she could cook. She could do anything."
Miss Billinger drove her beloved '45 Chevrolet for many years and continued driving until age 89. She lived alone alone for 45 years in the Bel Aire Apartments on East Douglas until she was 87, when she moved to Presbyterian Manor retirement home.
"Even after she retired she was very, very active," said Lewis Billinger's wife, Mary. "She loved to carve wood and make picture frames. She'd give them to people. She did beautiful china paintings. Our daughter still has a bedspread she wove for her crib."
Marsh said her aunt collaborated with noted woodcarver Houston Barclay to create carvings for the chapel of the Cowtown Museum.
"She also did all the weaving for the runner in the chapel," Marsh said.
Lewis Billinger said his aunt's life centered on helping others and the First Presbyterian Church.
"The church was her entire life," he said. "She was a maiden lady. Her hobby was taking care of other folks and doing nice things for people. She loved her nieces and nephews especially, but she would just do anything for anybody."
Miss Billinger was also a lifetime member of the Wichita Historical Museum and the Twentieth Century Club and a charter member of the Carnation Club.
She spent her first 12 years on the family farm in Garden Plains helping care for her five brothers and sisters. Her father, John Billinger, founded Wichita's first paving contractor firm and helped build Douglas Avenue.
"She was in excellent health until just two or three years ago and had three major surgeries. Until then she had been very, very active," Lewis Billinger said.
Services are at 1 p.m. today at First Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include nephews Lewis and Max Billinger, both of Wichita, and John Love of Oklahoma City; and nieces Eleanor Marsh and Jean Moore, both of Prairie Village.
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