Berniece’s parents, Francis “Buck” Pasmele and Ruby Bones were married Dec 1, 1928 and went on to have five children; Clara Cannon, Ramona Rosling, Berniece McGee, and twins Benny and Betty. 

Berniece was born at Cutler City on March 6, 1932. When Berniece was still a baby, her family moved to Harney County where her dad began working for Paul Stewart on different ranches including at Mosquito Creek, Crowley, Folley Farm and Crane Creek, which is where the twins were born in 1935 but shortly after her mother became extremely homesick so the family moved back to the coast. In the fall of 1937 the family moved back to Harney County. Her father bought the Emmett and Birdie Johnson ranch on Silver Creek near Suntex which was located four miles from the one room school. Getting to school was a struggle sometimes but at times Berniece rode horseback and in the winter her father took the children to school on the sled. Teachers at the school sometimes boarded with Berniece’s family

Berniece attended through the 8th grade at this school but graduated in Burns from the 8th grade with the Burns students. As a freshman in high school, Berniece and her two older sisters lived in Burns in a small trailer and would drive home on the weekends. Berniece and her sisters would pick up bottles from the roadside to sell for extra spending money.

Starting with her sophomore year of high school, Berniece and her two older sisters began attending Redmond High School. In Redmond they lived in a one room cabin that belonged to friends of her parents. During this time, Berniece’s Aunt was their guardian which kept them from having to pay tuition at the school.

Berniece returned to Burns for her junior and senior years of high school with Berniece graduating in 1950.

Berniece would often help out in the hayfields and also helped with buckarooing. When her families hay was all put up for the season, Berniece would oftentimes go to work for the neighbors, driving the pull up wagon.

Clara, Ramona and Berniece did most of the feeding for their families cattle that winter. When George finished feeding his cattle, he would oftentimes come over to help Berniece and her sisters feed their cattle. George would generally stay for dinner after the cows were fed and sometimes he would stay for supper.

George was used to being around girls as he had four sisters of his own.

George and Berniece began dating late in the summer of 1951 and were married in Portland on Jan. 22, 1952. Their son “Eddy” was born April 24, 1953.

In late spring/early summer of 1953 the family of three moved to Wagontire where George worked as a ranch hand for Jack and Emma West. In the winter of 1953, the family moved to Burns to the Fay Place while George fed cattle for Ed Bush at the Bush Ranch in Riley.

In the spring of 1954 the family moved back home to the ranch at Riley and when George’s father retired, George and Berniece bought out his dads half of the ranch. Eventually they acquired the Gibson Place and the Fry Place as well as Berniece’s parents ranch which is where George, Berniece and Eddy lived.

Berniece worked outside on the ranch whenever she was needed. One summer when Eddy was small and Berniece was raking hay, she had George put a wooden box in the rake for Eddy to lay in so that Berniece could take Eddy with her to rake the fields.

One day something spooked the horses and they ran off but luckily Berniece had a cast wheelie in front of the rake and was able to go in a circle until she was able to stop the horses. This event scared Eddy as well as Berniece  and at that point in time she decided it wasn’t safe to have Eddy in the rake with her so Grandma McGee started babysitting little Eddy.

On short rides moving cattle, Berniece continued to take Eddy with her, having him ride on the front of the saddle. Berniece always loved to ride but as she aged she did not get to ride near as often as she would have liked to.

In October 1978 George had his first cancer surgery although they did not know it was for sure cancer for at least a year following the surgery which is when it was discovered close to his ribs. Berniece and George traveled to Portland and stayed in a motel for seven weeks in order for George to take radiation treatments. The treatments shrunk the cancer but the cancer always seemed to return in other places. Chemotherapy and radiation were tried together but even this could not stop the cancer and after six and a half years, George lost his battle to cancer, passing away April 22, 1985 at the age of 56.

George and Berniece had 33 wonderful years of marriage, working side-by-side the entire time. They were named the Grand Marshall’s for the 1984 Harney County Fair Parade and at the 1985 Harney County Chamber Awards banquet, George was named senior man of the year. Berniece received the Chambers Woman of the Year award in 1985.

In the fall of 1985 after George passed, Berniece sold the ranch on Silver Creek and moved into a rented house in Hines for six months until she found a house that sat on five acres outside of Burns. Berniece missed the ranch life but said she was happy with her new home and property.

On June 21, 1986, her son, Eddy married Tracee Rowland, a daughter of Jim and Ramona Bishop and eventually to this union a grandson, George Logan McGee, was born.

George and Berniece traveled a lot when he was the State Public Lands Chairman, a position he held for many years with the Oregon Cattleman’s Association. George was a past president of the Harney County Stockgrowers as well as the harney County Fair Association.

Berniece was active in the Cowbelles. She is a past president for the Cowbells and was the  Harney County Cowbells treasurer for seven years. Berniece was also a past State President of the Oregon Cowbelles as well a past secretary of the American National Cattlewoman’s Association. Berniece also worked for Harney County Park & Rec for eight years and was on the Harney County Fair Board holding the position of treasurer.

Berniece was very active in all phases of the livestock industry first joining the Cowbells in 1955 and served on numerous committees. She held the position of President for the Harney County Cowbells in 1967 and served as the treasurer for seven years and as the secretary-treasurer for three additional years. Berniece was also the Cowbelles State President in 1983 and was also the State Secretary-Treasurer for the Cowbelles at a point in time. Berniece served on many committees including the steering committee for the national beef cook-off. She also worked on the membership and nominating committees for the ANCB & ANCW. 

In 1984 Berniece and her husband George were the grand marshals for the Harney County fair parade. 

Berniece was named Harney County Woman of the Year in 1985, the same year George was named Senior Citizen of the year. This was the first time a husband and wife were given awards in the same year at the Harney County Chamber Awards banquet.

Berniece served on the school board for a number of years and was also the clerk for the schools budget committee. Berniece was active in the Farm Bureau and was a voting delegate. Berniece was also a board clerk for the High Desert Park and Recreation District.

Berniece was a member of the Harney County Stockgrowers as well as the Oregon Cattleman’s Association.