Bernice “Bernie” Wolcott, 76, died peacefully at home on July 28 after a brief illness. She moved to Bozeman in March 1993 in a Subaru wagon held together by hope and duct tape, intending to stay one winter before heading to Seattle. The winter lasted thirty-three years.

Bernie worked the bulk aisle at the Community Food Co-op from 1994 until her retirement in 2019. She could locate nutritional yeast in her sleep and remembered which customers preferred their peanut butter ground fresh every Tuesday. She watched the store move twice, the parking lot shrink, and the line for the deli counter stretch out the door during ski season.

She bought her house on West Babcock in 1996 for what she called “a normal amount of money.” The same realtor called her last year asking if she’d consider selling. Bernie told her the view of the M was worth more than any offer, even if the M now shares its skyline with a four-story apartment complex she refused to call by its marketing name.

Bernie is survived by her daughter, Rochelle, who teaches third grade in Belgrade, and her son, Tomas, who runs a fly-fishing guide service out of Livingston. Both learned to drive in the Subaru. Both still call her for pie crust advice.

The service will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Dahl Funeral Chapel on North 19th.