Bernice Chase Noll Growing Up

Bernice Chase and Edith (Duffy) Reynolds

Duffy and I giggle away in this photo taken during my years at Springfield High School. Here we are both in our sophomore year. I still do a lot of giggling today. My husband can get me giggling at any time.

Duffy had moved to Springfield, Oregon in 1955 in October. School had started a moth before. Duffy knew nobody and was somewhat scared at the first day of school. Fifteen years old and no friends can be scary on your first day at school. About a week before Bernice passed away Duffy called to see how her friend was doing. She told Bernice that Bernice had come up to her and asked her to be a friend. And in a day or two introduced her to all of Bernice's friends. "Life changed that day," Duffy said. Bernice and Duffy graduated in 1947 and both went to Linfield College and became roommates.

Quote from Bernice in 1995: "Edith Reynolds (Duffy to us) came to Springfield and became my best friend in high school. She had carrot red hair and freckles. She attended Linfield with me and was my roommate for a number of years. Later she became a professor at Linfield. We have been good friends for some 60 odd years and that continues even today. She has retired from Linfield and still lives in McMinnville. We go up to Linfield and visit with her from time to time."