Berniece Debolt Rasmussen Eckert, age 96, a resident of Oklahoma City, passed away on May 26. She was born on May 19, 1925, in Glasco, Kansas, the daughter of James G. Debolt and Cynthia Myrtle Debolt. She was preceded in death by both parents and all nine of her siblings as well as her son Daniel Dean Rasmussen.

Berniece was born in Glasco, Kansas, the seventh of 10 siblings. She and her husband Jacob Eckert were married two months before he left the country for World War II, where he was killed in action. Berniece later married Harold Rasmussen, with whom she had three children.

Berniece was a vital member of her community, engaged in civic life and politics after spending many years as a social worker and single mother. She worked for the Department of Human Services and was president of Rambling Acres Neighborhood Association and sat on the Oklahoma City Parks Commission. She ran for city council in Oklahoma City in the early 1990s and for an Oklahoma House of Representatives seat as well. She was chairwoman of the Oklahoma City Human Rights Commission, which fought housing and employment discrimination against African-Americans and the disabled (until the commission was dissolved in 1996). Unbowed by that setback, she again ran unsuccessfully for city council. In her council runs, she fought for things like park development, beautification, traffic safety, water quality and public transportation. She was still taking college classes in her 80s.

She kept busy with sidelines as well. She worked as a clown named Rag-A-Muffin, entertaining children. She was also the mother to many beloved animals, including Mother Cat; a Great Dane named Jasmine who could stand taller than many adults and who was known to steal entire birthday cakes; and a couple of French poodles.

Berniece attended Church of the Servant in Oklahoma City and then later became an active member at Village Baptist Church. There she was a member of the choir and greatly enjoyed her involvement in her Sunday school class.

She was involved in the lives of her grandchildren in Oklahoma and took them on trips to Kansas to keep them familiar with their relatives.

Berniece is survived by her son Rudy Rasmussen and wife Linda Rasmussen; by her daughter Karen Ann Jones; by her granddaughters Amy Rae Jones and Laura Elizabeth Rasmussen Miller; by her grandsons Bradley Jon Rasmussen, Eric Randolph Rasmussen and Mitchell Evan Rasmussen (and Mitchell's wife Cameron Gimbal Rasmussen). Berniece will also be remembered by her great-grandchildren Scarlett Anna-Louise Miller, Sophie Elizabeth Miller, Colin Gregory Miller and Xander Dean Rasmussen.

She was also preceded in death by her son Daniel Rasmussen and son-in-law Robert Jones.

We want to express our gratitude to the loving aids and nurses with Valor Hospice, the staff at Teal Creek assisted living, and to to the lead nurse at Valor, Charece Taylor, R.N. for their great dedication to her care.