Charles B Bernard

December 1943 CFP

C.B. Bernard Quits as Clerk after 25 Years

Retirement of C.B. Bernard as city clerk after 25 years of service was made known at the city council meeting Tuesday evening at which Mr. Bernard's resignation, to take effect the first of January, was accepted with regret. Poor health and pressure of business were given as Mr. Bernard's reasons for retiring, and he said privately that "25 years is long enough."

Mr. Bernard took office as city clerk at the first meeting in January 1919, right after the close of the first world war, and when asked as the changes that had taken place in Cheney in the 25 years he has served, said the most noticeable was that the main street of Cheney was at that time knee deep in mud and that he often saw wagons in the mud up to the hubs.

At the time he became city clerk, Noble A. Rolfe was mayor of Cheney, Louis Bunge, now Superior court judge, was city attorney, and E.N. Guertin, Clarence M. Hubbard, Clarence D. Martin, E.E. Garberg, Alex Huse, George Engel, and M.K. Page were members of the council.

The first minutes that Mr. Bernard took record the decision of the council to have the city attorney prepare an ordinance calling for a special election on the proposed paving. H.N. Stronach was appointed as police judge, the minutes also noted.

Mr. and Mrs. Bernard and their son, Willard came to Cheney in 1916, and Mr. Bernard was with E.N. Guertin in Guertin's Cash store until Guertin's death in 1923, after which Mr. Bernard and W.J.H. Carr operated the dry goods store until 1929 when they dissolved the corporation and Mr. Bernard took over the men's furnishings business in his present location.

Guertin's Cash Store

Carr's Variety Store

Bernard's Men's Store

Minnie Bernard

Minnie Rhoades

John Rhoades

Marvin Rhoades

C.B. Bernard

Charles B. Bernard

Willard Bernard