Bertha K Fournier
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Bertha K. (Kuzeja) Fournier passed away on Aug. 17, 2020 at the age of 98 from Covid-19 at the Holyoke Healthcare Center. Bertha was born December 1, 1921 at in Holyoke, daughter of the late Stanley and Anna (Dembski) Kuzeja. She attended Holyoke Schools, a graduate of the Holyoke High School and the former Northampton Commercial College. She retired from the Northampton State Hospital office. Bertha was the widow of US Marine Lt. Col. (Ret) John G. Fournier. Bertha was exceptionally proud of her husband's 35 years of service to this nation, flying many B-17 Missions during WWII and later as a fighter pilot of a Phantom 95 Jet in the Korean War. Bertha and her sister Ann Block were the last to own the family homestead, "Peaceful Valley Farm" and milked cows into their 80's. Many of the Polish residents of Holyoke were welcomed by Bertha to bring gallon jugs to the farm to get raw milk and spring water from Broad Brook for years. Bertha was convinced that she and her 7 siblings all lived into their 90's, having been raised on chemical free milk and water. Bertha and her sister very generously put the farmland into conservation to protect Barnes Aquifer which supplies water for Westfield, Easthampton, Southampton and Holyoke's Rock Valley. Bertha was predeceased by her brothers John of Easthampton, Charles of Seattle, and her sisters Mildred Dube of Florence, Stella Kowalczik of Three Rivers and Ann Block. She is survived by her brother Edward and his wife Helen Kuzeja of Holyoke and her sister Christine Coe and her husband Bill Pliska of Holyoke, her 16 nieces and nephews around the country. Bertha was a communicant of the Our Lady of the Valley parish in Easthampton and a member of the Holy Rosary Sodality. Bertha and her sister Ann were very active with the former Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Easthampton, and were big helpers to the popular Pastor Fr. Jim Sipitkowski. All service are private with burial in the Mater Dolorosa Cemetery in South Hadley with funeral services arranged by the O'Brien Funeral Home of Easthampton. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated for Bertha at the Our Lady of the Valley Parish at the close of the present pandemic.