Grandma Bev was born Beverly Iris Lepper June 22, 1935 in Stevens Point Wisconsin. She passed away Christmas Eve 2020 at Comfort Care in Grand Junction CO. In between are many great stories.
Grandma was the middle child of 14 brothers and sisters. She met and married Raymond George Mahne. Bev and Ray started their journey in Wisconsin then moved to California to Washington to Colorado to Minnesota to Colorado. They met and enjoyed many strangers that became good friends. Wherever Grandma landed, people were sure to remember her baked goods, especially her caramel rolls. Whatever curves life threw at her, she made the best of them. She taught us how to live without, but make the most of what we did have. She shared her recipe for caramel rolls.
She taught us to start food fights no matter who was standing in the doorway; so many potatoes had to be cleaned from the walls after a holiday gathering. If you were favored, you received caramel rolls or frosted rolls. No one was safe from her practical jokes; not bosses, not friends, and especially not family. Grandma taught us there was no such thing as an ex-in-law. Once you were in the family, there was no escape. Former husbands, wives, boy or girlfriends were expected to show up for holidays for caramel rolls. You could count on grandma to be found in the kitchen making peach sauce or caramel rolls, looking at that cowboy across the table on a book being read by Grandpa Ray, feeding/complaining about the vulture hummingbirds, or wrestling the tiller in the garden and pushing the self-propelled lawnmower to go faster.
The last years without Grandpa Ray were lonely. She did meet many new people and make many friends. She went to the pearly gates to see if St. Peter had let Grandpa Ray in. I know Grandma Bev is in heaven with Grandpa Ray, making her caramel rolls for God.
Grandma was preceded in death by Grandpa Ray, her parents Ruby and Walter, several brothers and sisters, and twins a boy and girl, former in-laws, Mike and Vicki
She is survived by kids Nancy, Bruce and Fred (Tei). Grandkids Scott, Heidi (Barney), Amanda (Bryan), Adam (Elissa), Robin (Jimmy) and Ben. Great-grands Ben, Emily (Brandon), Ray, Ahvi, Blue, Ady, several adopted/foster grand kids, ?&?, Emmaleigh, and Johnathan. Current former family members, Kay, Susan and Ashley. If you need to know who the current former family members belong to, you know it did not matter to Grandma.
Grandma will be cremated, set on the mantel, and finally planted at Spring Valley Ranch next to the only dandelion she liked, Grandpa Ray.
Instead of flowers or gifts, please plant some flowers and think of Grandma Bev often.
Did I mention her caramel rolls?
I didn’t know Beverly, or anyone in her world, but her obituary is the sweetest I’ve ever read!