Bernadine Brown Steele

Bernadine Brown Steele CENTRAL CITY — Bernadine Brown Steele, 97, of Central City died Wednesday, July 29, 2009, at Belle Meade Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Greenville. She was born March 1, 1912, in Muhlenberg County. Mrs. Steele graduated from Central City High School in 1930 and went on to Western Kentucky University, where she earned her BS, MA and Rank 1 in education. She began her career in 1931 in a rural Muhlenberg two-room schoolhouse. She later became a first-grade teacher and then guidance counselor and supervisor in the Central City Independent School District until her retirement in 1977. Mrs. Steele was president of the Kentucky Education Association (1966), state president for the Department of Classroom Teachers of Kentucky (1960), president of the Third District Association (1958), Kentucky representative to the World Confederation of Teachers in Dublin, Ireland (1968), outstanding educator (1975) as chosen by the editorial board of Western College of Education and Who’s Who of American Women (1970). She was also the first president of the Muhlenberg County Western Alumni Association, member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Central City Times Argus woman of the year, Sunday school teacher for many years and served on numerous other communities and boards. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Central City. She was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Johnny L. Steele; her parents, Bernice and Charlie Brown; her stepmother, Eva Conway Brown; two sisters, Marjorie McDonald and Charlie Avaliene Wiggins; and a brother, Earl Millard Brown. Survivors include her sisters-in-law, Hallie Brown and Mildred Rolley; 11 nieces and nephews; several great nieces and nephews; and numerous great-great-nieces and nephews. Services are at 11 a.m. Saturday at Tucker Funeral Home in Central City, with the Rev. Bob Lowery officiating, assisted by Dr. Lucien Taylor. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery in Central City. Visitation is after 5 p.m. today at the funeral home. To honor her love for The Hill at Western Kentucky University, memorial contributions can be made to College Heights Foundation, in memory of Bernadine Steele Scholarship, 1906 College Heights Blvd., WKU Box 41016, Bowling Green, KY 42101. Online condolences may be made at www.tuckerfuneralhomes.com.