BETHLEHEM -- Bernice "Gram" Assard, 83, of Bethlehem, passed away Nov. 12 at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington surrounded by her loving family. She was the widow of James Assard.

Born in New Milford on Jan. 28, 1925, the daughter of Gladys (Bray) and Alfred Johnson, she graduated from New Milford High School and moved to Bethlehem upon her marriage in 1944. She and her husband operated a dairy farm. She was an avid gardener and for many years operated a vegetable stand which came to be known as "Grams' stand" on Main Street in Bethlehem.

Mrs. Assard was active in the community. She was a life member of the Bethlehem Fair Society, where she was responsible for the scarecrow exhibits. She played the role of Mrs. Claus at the Bethlehem Christmastown Festival. For many years she was a poll worker for the town of Bethlehem. She was a past member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Bethlehem Volunteer Fire Department. She was also a director of the Litchfield County 4-H Fair and the Litchfield County 4-H Foundation and a member of the Litchfield County Homemakers Club and Litchfield County Farm Bureau. She was a communicant of the Church of the Nativity and a member of the Good Shepherds where she was famous for her chicken soup at their Christmas bazaar.

She was proudest of her work with children. She taught all of her grandchildren to read before the age of 4. She was a Brownie leader and den mother as her children were growing up. For over 50 years, she was the leader of the Bethlehem 4-H Busy Stitchers, one of the oldest 4-H clubs in Connecticut. She was elected to the inaugural class of 4-H Hall of Fame for her work with youth at a ceremony held at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland in 1999, one of only 52 people to be so honored from across the United States.

Mrs. Assard was the recipient of several awards including the Margaret Langlois Volunteer Award, the Lion's Club Community Service Award and the Washington-Bethlehem Rotary Club Volunteer Award. She was an avid fan of the UCONN Women's and Men's Basketball teams and also followed the Boston Red Sox.

She is survived by her children, Elaine Brodeur, Leonard Assard and his wife Tess, and Eileen LeClerc and her husband Kenneth all of Bethlehem. She had six grandchildren, Sharon (Todd) Pistilli of Fairfield, Rebecca (Robert) Zielinski of Thomaston, and Kenneth (Dana) Assard, Jennifer (Christopher) Gallo, Kathleen and Jessica LeClerc, all of Bethlehem, and six great-grandchildren, Jordan and Lauren Pistilli, Andrew and Anya Zielinski, and Robert and James Assard. Her sister, Gladys Archambault lives in Dover Plains, N.Y. She was predeceased by her daughter Kathleen Bixby, five brothers and two sisters.

A mass of Christian burial will be held Saturday, Nov. 15, at 10 a.m. at The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Burial will follow in Bethlehem Cemetery. Friends may call at the Woodbury Funeral Home of Munson-Lovetere, 2 School St., on Friday, Nov. 14, from 4 to 8 p.m.

Bernice J Assard