Beatrice "Bea" (FLEMING) ROE

FLEMING, ROE, WEEDA, BARNES, GADDUM, DAHL, WEDDLE

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 3/3/2009 at 01:28:37

Creston News Advertiser
Creston, Union County, Iowa
Tuesday, September 2, 2008

OBITUARY - BEATRICE ROE

Beatrice “Bea” ROE, 81, of Mount Ayr died Aug. 30, 2008, at her home.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, at Mount Ayr United Methodist Church. The Rev. Susan THOMAS will officiate. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be after 3 p.m. Wednesday at Wilson-Watson and Armstrong Funeral home, 205 W. Monroe St., Mount Ayr, with the family present 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Memorials may be directed to the light project on Mount Ayr Square.

On June 23, 1927, on the family farm west of Mount Ayr, George & Mary (MILLER) FLEMING welcomed a baby girl into their home. Beatrice Maurine joined brothers Rex & Ray and sister Patti. Their dad, however, gave the children nicknames; Teter, Swede, and Razor. Beatrice was called “Booney”. A sister, Beverly, who later joined the family, died of pneumonia at the age of 7. When they were babies, their mother dressed the girls up, fixed their hair, and took them on the train to Des Moines to compete in the baby contest at the Iowa State Fair. They placed first, second, and third.

As a child, Bea attended country school. It is the school that is now part of the Ellston Historical Center. A picture of Bea and her sister Patti with their schoolmates hangs on the wall. While a high school student in Mount Ayr, she lived in town with other students and went home to the farm on weekends. When she was a senior, she was a candidate for Homecoming Queen.

After graduation in 1945, she lived in Des Moines where she worked at Younkers. While living in Des Moines, she was nominated by the Chamber of Commerce to participate in a beauty pageant. She was known as being very shy and declined being in the pageant because she did not want to have to model a swimsuit in public.

On August 151, 1948, Bea married classmate Bob ROE at the United Methodist Church in Mount Ayr. Their first home was a small trailer in Fairfield, IA where Bob worked and attended Parsons College. It was there that their first child, Dan, was born in 1949. After Bob’s graduation, the family returned home to Mount Ayr. Bob began working for Roe Implement and Bea assumed a busy role as homemaker. Steve joined the family in 1951 and Brenda in 1955. While the children were growing up, Bea worked as a grey lady at Ringgold County Hospital, Sunnyslope Nursing Home, and the Clearview Home in Mount Ayr.

Bea loved nothing more than spending time with and taking care of her family. She was loving and caring to them, as well as to everyone else she knew, always putting others first. She took great pride in her children’s accomplishments. She also enjoyed growing and tending flowers, especially red roses, taking care of her home, cooking for her family, and being involved in bridge club.

In later years, her grandchildren and great grandchildren were the light of her life. Each one felt special because to her, each one was. Spending time with Grandma ROE was always fun. But she was not just their grandma. Their friends and the neighborhood kids also called her “Grandma ROE” or Grandma Bea”.

Bea passed away at her home on August 30, 2008. She was preceded in death by her sister Beverly; her parents; her brothers; and her husband Bob.

She is survived by sons Dan (Marla Kay) and Steve (Nancy), daughter Brenda WEEDA (Pat), sister Patti BARNES (Dick), sisters-in-law Jody FLEMING and Helen FLEMING, grandchildren Cody ROE (Purvi), Brittany GADDUM (John), BreAnn DAHL (Greg), Michael ROE (Danica), and Ryan ROE; great grandchildren Jaya ROE, Sophia ROE, and Filson GADDUM; other relatives and friends including dear friend & neighbor Pat WEDDLE.

www.funeralplan2.com/watsonarmstrongfh/obits?id=142666

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, 2008