Bernice C. Mountz

Bernice "Bernie" C. (Moyer) Mountz ,91, of Stony Creek Mills, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 28, 2019 in the Reading Hospital.

Born in West Reading, Bernie was the daughter of the late Abner Moyer and Catherine (Heine) Moyer of West Reading. She was a 1945 graduate from Reading Central Catholic High School with highest honors and where she met her late husband, William J. Mountz, Jr. and father of their eight children.

Bernice was a lover of life, family, music and culture. She spent decades as a pianist, organist and choir director for many churches including: St. Catharine of Siena, Reading; Sacred Heart, West Reading; Christ Lutheran Church, Reading and Bethany Lutheran Church, Stony Creek. Bernie was a member of the Reading Choral Society and was a devoted educator, teaching piano and organ both privately and at the Community School of Music in Reading. She was also the Mountz Family "Choir Director", often gathering family and friends around the piano to sing Christmas carols which made for great fun, laughter and now, priceless memories.

After raising her family, Bernice worked as an Educational Aide for the Berks County Intermediate Unit with special needs children for 15 years and where her natural talents for educating and nurturing those in need were some of her best attributes at work.

She was a master of the German paper cutting technique, Scherenschnitte. It would be common to find Bernie cutting these intricate designs even into her 90's and made for one-of-a-kind gifts for family and friends. An avid lover of cultures, while 100% Pennsylvania Dutch, she had a unique love for all things Irish, was fortunate to travel to Ireland and had an array of fine woolen sweaters that were worn with pride. Bernie was both religious and spiritual, having an affinity for the Native American culture, attending many of the local Pow-Wows. Her family and friends were blessed to know and experience her warm, caring spirit and she will be dearly missed.

Bernice's life was well-lived and loved. She is survived by six daughters, Cynthia M. wife of Michael Moletress of Sinking Spring; Pattie C. wife of Steve Moyer of Sinking Spring; Phyllis A. Rieger of Reading; Barbara J. Weatherholtz of Reading; Mary E. Mountz of Stony Creek and Jeanne L. wife of Cory DeLancey of Oley; eight grandchildren: Stephanie, William, Justin, William, Jason, Erik, Shelby and Corey and six great-grandchildren, Jaden, Rafael Jr. , Kaden, Kaia, Carmine and Anthony

Bernice was predeceased by an infant daughter, Rosemary and son, William G.; a sister, Rita Speece; half-sisters, Catherine "Kitty" Keim, Dorothy "Dot" Eltz and half-brother, Edward Ganster.

Visitation with family and friends will be held on Friday, April 5, 2019, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at the Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home, Inc., 739 Penn Avenue, West Reading and on Saturday, April 6, 2019, from 9:30 am-10:00 am with memorial services beginning at 10:00 am at Christ Lutheran Church, 1301 Luzerne Street, Reading. Interment will be at Gethsemane Cemetery, 3139 Kutztown Road, Reading. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Special Olympics of Pennsylvania: specialolympicspa.org or Animal Rescue League of Berks County: berksarl.org.