Nationality American Religion Christian; Protestant Spouse(s) Lynn (Bud) Bernard Name Milly Bernard | Political party Democratic Party Profession Politician | |
Born 28 May 1920
Brewster, Nebraska, USA ( 1920-05-28 ) Died November 7, 2005, Kearns, Utah, United States Education University of Colorado Denver | ||
Alma mater University of Colorado | ||
Mildred Adelaide "Milly" Cox Oberhansley Bernard (May 28, 1920 – November 7, 2005) was a member of the Utah House of Representatives from Kearns, Utah, serving five terms from 1966 to 1976.
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Early life and career
Bernard was born May 28, 1920 in Brewster, Nebraska to Robert E. and Eleanor Jarvis Cox. She graduated with honors from Broken Bow High School in Broken Bow, Nebraska, after which she attended business college in Denver.
Two marriages, to Robert E. Workman and to Rex E. Oberhansley, ended in divorce. In 1972, she married Justice Court Judge Lynn (Bud) Bernard; the marriage lasted until his death in 1987.
Political career
After moving to Kearns, where she was one of the earliest residents, she helped to organize the Kearns Town Council, on which she served for many years. She was a charter member of the Kearns Water & Sewer District Board, and the first woman to sit on the Salt Lake Planning and Zoning Commission, a seat that she held for 13 years.
In 1967, she was elected to the Utah House of Representatives as Milly Oberhansley. She served five terms, until 1976, changing her name to Milly O. Bernard in 1972. A Democrat, she served as Majority Whip, and as Minority and Majority Leader. She also sat on a number of boards and committees, including the Juvenile Court Governing Board, the Judicial Council, the Granite Mental Health Board, the Community Action Board, and the Social Services Committee.
Bernard described herself as a "minority, minority, minority", as a woman, a non-Mormon, and as a non-native of Utah. Colleagues described her as a supporter of higher education and of women's rights.
In 1976, Bernard was appointed by Governor Calvin L. Rampton and reappointed by Governor Scott M. Matheson to the Utah Public Service Commission, on which she served as Chairman until her retirement in 1982.
Bernard worked for fifteen years for EIMCO, a Salt Lake supplier of mining machinery; her tenure at EIMCO encompassed her ten years in the House.
Bernard died in Keans at the age of 85.