Shared Note: - Bernice Schmidt had an 8th grade education. She was about 13 when she came down with Spinal Meningitis. Doctors did not know much about the disease. She was left with defective heart valves. As an adult Bernice survived two open heart su rgeries to replace heart valves. Her first valve was a pigs heart valve. Bernice surprised everyone and lived to be seventy five years old. She died of congestive heart failure, mitrol and aortic valve insufficiency. Her religion was Lutheran / Episcopalian.