Berneta "Bea" Gardner, age 87, a longtime resident of South Auburn, PA and resident at Gracious Living for the last year, passed away early Monday morning, July 24, 2017 at Tyler Memorial Hospital in Tunkhannock, PA.

Bea was born in South Auburn on the Tewksbury Farm, on July 20, 1930, the fifth child of eleven to the late Eldred P. (d. Jan.2, 1974) and Elsie A. Love Tewksbury (d. Sept. 16, 1985). She was a very hardworking girl who grew up on the farm and never complained.

She graduated from Meshoppen High School with the Class of 1948; she also received her undergraduate degree from the Scranton School of Business. She worked at the First National Bank in Meshoppen until she married Harold "Hoag" Gardner of Retta on July 21, 1951 and the couple was married for 38 years until his passing on February 3, 1990. The couple lived in Retta and raised four children.

Bea was employed with First National Bank (later known as Mellon Bank) in Meshoppen after her last child started school in 1968. She started as a Teller and then was promoted to Manager of the Bank. She stayed in that role until her retirement in 1992. Before she worked at the bank she was employed with the Susquehanna County Home as a caregiver from 1966-1968. Bea and her husband, "Hoag" also owned and operated The Gardner Store in Retta from 1972-1986.

She was very active in the South Auburn community; in fact, she was the self-proclaimed "Mayor" of South Auburn. She was a very active and faithful member in the South Auburn United Methodist Church and was the President of the United Methodist Women, as well as the South Auburn Grange #1188. In 2015 the Grange awarded her for her 80-year membership. She was also a member of the South Auburn Birthday Club, the Ugly Quilters Group, and former member of the Retta United Methodist Church where she taught Sunday School. Bea loved to garden, mow her lawn, sit on her deck and watch the geese, and dance, especially country line dancing. Bea was very proud of the house that she designed and was built by her brother, Don. She was an excellent baker and truly made the best pies ever. She thoroughly enjoyed going to concerts and taking trips with her family and it didn't matter where she went she was always able to make new friends. Bea was very fond of her trip to Nashville with her two daughters and her granddaughter to see the Grand Ole Opry House. Bea was a very patriotic woman and was much honored when she was invited to present the wreaths with her daughters last September 11th for the memorial service at the Daniel Chrisman Memorial Park. Bea always lived life to the fullest with a smile on her face. At Gracious Living she was known as the bright spot of the facility and was very active until this last week. She loved spending time with her family and especially loved her granddaughter and great-grandchildren.

Bea is survived by her daughters and their husbands, Linda and Larry Lee of Fairdale, PA and Carole and Ralph Rosenbaum of Bunnell Hill, PA; her sons Art Gardner and Gene Gardner both of Rushboro, PA; her granddaughter Shaina Guilford and her husband Adam of West Pittston, PA; her great-grandchildren Taylor Paulewicz of Plymouth, PA and Reiley Paulewicz of West Pittston, PA; her great-great granddaughter Landon Paulewicz of Harrisburg, PA; her step-grandchildren, Rachel Stewart and her husband Josh of Bloomsburg, PA, and Roy Rosenbaum and his wife Andrea of Pittston; and step-great-grandchildren, Jaxynn and Bryse Stewart, Jocelyn Schwartztrauber, and Danica Rosenbaum. She is also survived by her siblings Louis DeWolfe, Arden Tewksbury, Martha Proof, Loretta Guiton, John Tewksbury and his wife Charlene, and Dianne Lewis and her husband Rick; as well as many, many nieces and nephews. Besides her husband and her parents she was preceded in death by her brothers, Don Tewksbury, Frank Tewksbury, Elden Tewksbury, and Dale Tewksbury.

Funeral services for Bea will be held on Friday, July 28, 2017 at 11:00 AM from the South Auburn Church with Lay Minister Vickie Ellis of the church officiating. A Grange service will precede the funeral service at the church. Interment will immediately follow the service at Jersey Hill Cemetery. Family and friends may call at Sheldon Funeral Homes, 8206 SR 6, Meshoppen, PA on Thursday, July 27, 2017 from 2:00-4:00 PM and 6:00-8:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in Bea's name to Hunts for Healing, 3 Coburn Hill Road, Laceyville, PA 18623 or to Cure Alzheimer's Fund, 34 Washington Street, Suite 200, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481 or on their website at www.curealz.org, or to the charity of the donor's choice.

Online condolences may be made at www.sheldonfuneralhomes.com.