Bernice Weinstein Upin Obituary (1921 - 2018)

Bernice Weinstein Upin, formerly of Faribault, MN, died on January 19th. She was born in St. Paul in 1921. Bernice was preceded in death by her parents, David and Sadie; her husband, Sam; and her siblings, Yale and Dorothy. Bernice is survived by daughters, Andi and Munya; grandchildren, Naomi, Ben, Noah, Isaac and great grandson, Sam. Bernice was a “Code Girl” after being recruited from the University of Minnesota and worked as a cryptographer in Washington, DC for the duration of World War II. Upon her return to Minnesota, she met and married Sam Upin. They settled in Faribault where they raised their family. For decades, Bernice was a volunteer at the Faribault State Hospital. When the Rice County Activity Center opened, Bernice became the administrative assistant. In 1970, Bernice was the first recipient in Faribault to be honored with the Service to Mankind (SERTOMA) award. A friend of the Humphreys and Mondales, Bernice was active in the DFL and spent her live fighting for human rights. A graveside service was held on January 22nd at the Temple of Aaron Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family would be honored to have any donations made to: Hearts and Hands, www.heartsandhandsmn.org, 4021 Vernon Ave., Mpls, MN 55416.