Bernice Francis Capeder (née Turner) of Santa Clara, CA entered into eternal rest on December 24th, 2022 in Santa Clara, CA at the age of 92 of natural causes.

One of three children, she was born in Ferndale on December 10, 1930 to Henry Sanford Turner and Helen Bernice Hansen. She had two brothers, Ron and Wayne Turner, who preceded her in death.

Growing up in Port Kenyon, her beloved grandparents, Hans and Esther Hansen, stepped in to help raise her. She was close to her stepfather Luther Jensen who was a father figure in her life. She attended Fortuna High and was crowned the 1951 Fortuna Rodeo Queen. A natural beauty, she caught the eye of Pierre (Ben) Benito Capeder in high school while roller skating.At the age of 22, she married Ben on June 22, 1952 at the Church of the Assumption in Ferndale and together they raised a family of six children.

Ben was in the Air Force early on and the young family moved from place to place as their family grew. She would recall, years later, how hot it was in Mississippi while stationed there and welcomed the chance to return to our cooling coastal fog. The seaside was always her favorite place and she would tell tales of the abundance of the Salt River and digging for giant clams in her youth.

Born a farmer girl in rural Humboldt County, she developed her trademark toughness and positivity. Stubbornly optimistic, “Just be positive” was her tagline, a message that we all could benefit from. She loved her gardening, flowers (especially roses), and her many canine companions. Her whimsical garden, filled with gnomes, lights and fairies, is legendary and those who have seen it know it as almost magical at night.

Most of all, she loved her family. Ben’s parents and siblings were always dear to her heart and she considered them her own. As a mother of six, it could be difficult to provide all the love and attention they needed in their head-strong years, but she endured and loved her family deeply, along with her adored eleven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Talking about their adventures or seeing them always made her eyes light up. Her happiest times were whenever her house was filled with family laughter and sharing a good meal while telling the tales of life.

Bernice’s remains will be interred with Ben on August 4th, 2023 at Ocean View Cemetery in Eureka at 10 a.m. She will be missed by the many who loved her. May her memory be eternal.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Bernice’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.