[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 21 (Thursday, February 10, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E189-E190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF MRS. BERNICE CLEVELAND

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RODNEY ALEXANDER

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 10, 2011

  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the life 
and achievements of Mrs. Bernice Cleveland, who passed away on January 
6, 2011 in Minden, La.
  Mrs. Cleveland was a passionate humanitarian who dedicated 40 years 
of service to children and families in the Boyce and Lena areas. For 
decades, she worked for the Louisiana Head Start Program through the Bo 
Peep Head Start Center in Boyce, La., teaching the pre-school age 
group. Her daughter, Sheila Joyce Bryant, says ``She had a passion for 
children and believed you must have patience in dealing with the little 
ones.''
  For her devotion to Head Start, Mrs. Cleveland received numerous 
awards and accolades, such as Excellence in Teaching, Excellence in 
Attendance, and in August of 2005, she was recognized with the 40 Years 
of Service Award by the Cenla Community Action Committee, Inc.--
Louisiana Head Start Program.
  Mrs. Cleveland had two brothers, Joseph Jones, Jr. and Nathaniel 
Jones, Sr., and one sister, Miss Etta Mae Jones, who preceded her in 
death. She leaves behind her adoring husband, James ``Ted'' Floyd 
Cleveland, her loving daughter, Sheila, and two granddaughters, Rachel 
Joyce Bryant and Bathsheba Felice Bryant.
  Upon her marriage in 1953, Mrs. Cleveland joined her mother-in-law, 
the late Cora Beatrice Cleveland, and united with Good Hope Missionary 
Baptist Church where she faithfully served for 50 years. In May 2009, 
she received a Christian Service Award by the Louisiana Baptist State 
Convention, and since 1956, she has been a member of the Queen Esther 
Household of Ruth, No. 2853. She was

[[Page E190]]

also heavily involved in the church, singing in the sanctuary choir, 
teaching Sunday and vacation bible schools and working with the youth 
department.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the 
late Mrs. Bernice Cleveland. Her altruistic nature and selfless 
dedication warrant this laudable recognition. For her unyielding 
efforts to help others, Mrs. Cleveland leaves this world a better 
place.

                          ____________________