Carolyn Bailey Berneking, age 96, died on August 11 at Lawrence Memorial
Hospital. Mrs. Berneking was born in Kansas City, Mo., June 21, 1915. Parents
were Dr. & Mrs. William H. Bailey of Oklahoma City; grandparents were Prof. &
Mrs. E.H.S. Bailey, Lawrence, Kansas and Mr. and Mrs. Clarence E. Walker of
Kansas City, Missouri. Mrs. Berneking graduated from the University of Kansas in
1937 with a degree in music, and later she received a master’s degree in library
science from the College of Emporia. She married Christian Louis Berneking III
of Trenton Mo. in 1937, who died in 1998.
Mrs. Berneking taught public school music in Elmore County, Alabama before
moving to Auburn, Alabama where she was a cataloger at the Auburn University
Library. She worked as a cataloger at the Elizabeth Public Library, Elizabeth,
New Jersey before coming to Watson Library, University of Kansas, as a serials
librarian. She became librarian at Central Junior High School in Lawrence and
after retirement she volunteered at the Kansas University Archives, Spencer
Research Library from 1990 to 2004. During this time, she also worked as a
preservation historian. She placed several houses in Lawrence, buildings on KU’s
campus, and a historic landmark site in Douglas County on the National Historic
Register.
She was a member of Pi Beta Phi (social sorority), serving as president of the
Alumni Club; Daughters of the American Revolution; Twentieth Century; Historic
Mount Oread Fund; Lawrence Preservation Alliance; Douglas County Historical
Society; Kansas State Historical Society; and the First Presbyterian Church,
Lawrence, Kansas.
She is survived by two sons and a daughter: William Bailey Berneking, Wayzata,
MN; Christian Louis Berneking IV and wife Elizabeth, Evansville, IN; Carolyn
Berneking Kelleher, Spicer, MN; nine grandchildren and several great
grandchildren.
The family suggest memorials to the Dr. William H. Bailey Memorial Award in care
of the Kansas University Endowment Association. Private internment will be in
Oak Hill Cemetery. A Celebration of Life service will be at 4 p.m. Sept. 3 at the First Presbyterian Church in Lawrence.
