Bernice Marie (Dutton) Kutz, 96, passed away peacefully Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. With almost a century of memories, Bernice experienced what most only encounter in the movies.
Born months before the big crash of 1929, she grew up on a modest farm in Iowa where she only had two in her class. In 1943, her family uprooted to Parsons, Kansas, where she was active in Pep Club and worked as a movie usher. A major polio scare left only the library open, so Bernice and her brother sought respite in books. This was the beginning of a lifetime of love for the written word.
Bernice graduated from Parsons High School in 1947, then worked as a nurse’s aide, where she helped deliver a baby. Then, she was an operator for Southwestern Bell Telephone. While singing in the church choir, sisters spotted Bernice and went home to tell their brother they had found him the perfect girl. The following Sunday, he went to check her out. A year later, she married Marion Daniel Kutz in October 1949. They remained married for 67 years.
Marion’s Army Reserve unit was activated for the Korean War, spending 18 months overseas. When he returned, they moved to Oswego in 1954. Her focus shifted to motherhood, where she welcomed her first three children every two years. In 1955, Marion started a music store, and in 1961, they moved back to Parsons. Kutz Music was run downstairs while they lived upstairs. They welcomed two more to the mix later on. In 1983, they moved to Pittsburg. For almost 60 years, the two helped countless people grow in their love of music. The music company also provided opportunities to travel the world, including Hawaii, the Bahamas, Rio de Janeiro, Vienna, London, Rome and Spain. She also volunteered on a mission trip to Mexico.
Bernice’s motto was to “bloom where you are planted.” She was an avid gardener, blood donor, fiction reader, church member and dedicated grandmother. Her outfits and jewelry were always as colorful as the flowers she planted.
She is survived by her brother, Roger (Chris) Dutton; along with her five children, Karen (Paul) Raymond, Jim (Chrissy) Kutz, Kenny (Elizabeth) Kutz, Susie (Bobby) Gardullo and John (Terri) Kutz; 12 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and extended family remain.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Marion D. Kutz; and a great-granddaughter, Delylah Harris.
The family will receive friends from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, at Brenner Mortuary in Pittsburg. The service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, at Brenner Mortuary with Chaplain Derek Harmon officiating. Burial will follow in McCune City Cemetery. The family suggests memorials to Frontenac United Methodist Church or to the Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice. These may be left at or mailed to the Brenner Mortuary, 114 E. Fourth St., Pittsburg, KS, 66762. Friends may also leave condolences online at www.brennermortuary.com.
