Bernice Paulette Williams Davenport was born on August 28, 1933 to Harvey and Myrtle Scott Williams.
On September 24, 1946 Nana married the love of her life Willard Davenport. He passed away from this life on March 22, 1969. We know there has been a joyful reunion in Heaven when Nana too passed from this mortal life.

Whether cooking for her husband and the farm hands or preparing a feast for her family, Nana was never happier than when preparing food for her family. After taking a cake decorating class, she became the go to for wedding, birthday or baby shower cakes in Clarendon and the surrounding area. Her pies were as sought after as her cakes.

When grandbabies and later great grandbabies came along Nana showered her love on them. Grandchildren can tell wonderful stories of spending the night at Nanas in Buckhorn.

Nana moved to Clarendon in 1989, and it was quite an adjustment, leaving the house Papaw Willard had built for her.

The family had peace when Nana moved and family gatherings continued with lots of love and lots of good home cooking.

Nana poured all her love into her family and her cooking whether it was cooking enough for an army, which family gatherings were or making a wedding or birthday cake. She did everything with love.

Nana once hosted Houston Nutt (University of Arkansas football coach) for lunch with fried chicken along with all the fixings. Coach Nutt talked about Nana's butter roll for years. Anyone that ever tasted her butter roll knows why.

As Nana's health declined, she had to stop making cakes, but she never stopped cooking family feasts.

Any holiday found Nana filling the table with more food than could be eaten at one sitting. Son-in-law, James, could be found to say that you couldn't tell we had eaten anything but leftovers were just as good as the first time.

One of the hardest things about this getting old thing was not being able to cook all the food she and her family loved.

Nana was a long standing member of the Monroe Baptist Church.

Nana stepped peacefully through the veil at the age of 92 on December 11, 2025 at her home in Clarendon, Arkansas.

Bernice was preceded in death by her father and mother, Harvey and Myrtle Scott Williams; husband, Willard Davenport; son, Randy Davenport; daughter, Deborah and sons-in-law, Mike McCrea and James Thompson.

Those left to mourn her passing: her son, Richard (Libby) Davenport; daughter, Becky McCrea and daughter-in-law, Valerie Davenport (Robert) Brumfield; grandchildren, Travis (Tia) Davenport, Shana (Alex) Howe, Scott (Sarah) Davenport, Ross Thompson, Jonathan (Hollie) Thompson, Jamie (Cody) Morgan, Keri (Kevin) McCarn and Kris (Elizabeth) McCrea; great grandchildren, Collin & Caroline Davenport, Zachary Howe, Sean Howe and Makayla Howe, Caden Davenport, Logan Davenport, Ella Davenport, Brooklyn Davenport, Macy Thompson, Rhett Thompson, Adalyn Thompson, EJ Morgan, Asher Morgan, Jessica Morgan, Colby Morgan, Kenley McCarn, Kaitlyn McCarn, Kallie McCarn, Addyson McCrea and Axton McCrea.

Obituary written by the family of Bernice Davenport