Obituary of Beverly M. Wilkins

 

Beverly (Bev) Mansor Wilkins, age 85, of Weiser, Idaho, passed away February 28, 2021, at The Cottages in Weiser.

Bev will be laid to rest at a private family graveside dedication, under the direction of Lienkaemper-Thomason Funeral Home in Weiser. Her life will be celebrated at a later date when the family can come together.

Mom was born February 18, 1936 in Circleville, Utah. Her family moved from Circleville to Delta, Utah when she was 15.

She stayed in Circleville for 1 year and lived with her grandma Mansor until the end of her sophomore year in high school. She then moved to Delta, Utah and completed her junior year of high school in Delta.

She met our dad, Heber DeVere Wilkins when she was 16. He was 23. She would write in her journal - “We first met driving down the road, out of Delta. He was driving a convertible. When I first saw him, I knew that I would marry him.” They were married in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 24, 1953 and sealed in the Boise, Idaho Temple on June 20, 1991.

“We were legally married in Vegas, but the happiest day of my life was when we were sealed in the Boise Temple as husband and wife for time and eternity. This is the way God would have it.”

Best friends, Roger and Hazel Edwards, were also married in Vegas at the same time. They lived in the same motel, 3 doors down, while DeVere (“Dee”) and Roger worked in highway construction near Layton, Utah for 8 months after their marriage. They remained best of friends throughout their lives. Mom and dad moved back to Delta for a couple of years into the Wilkins family home. In 1958, they moved to Weiser, Idaho, where they resided for the remainder of their lives.

Mom was taught the value of hard work by both her mother and father, which she was very grateful for. Her mother also taught her to serve others, as “that’s what Christ would do. She taught her well, as her recipe for happiness was, “stay close to the church, set goals, strive to be more Christlike and lose yourself in service to others.”

Mom was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and served in many capacities in Young Women’s, Relief Society, Primary and Sunday School, including Leadership as well as teaching. She always put the Lord’s work first. She loved to serve. That is what she lived for! It was very difficult for her, the last twenty years when she was no longer physically able to do what she loved to do.

Some of mom’s favorites, besides her grandkids, were working in her beautiful manicured yard, growing gorgeous flowers, eating fresh sweet peas out of her father’s garden, roasting pine nuts, making homemade ice cream and pulling taffy.

Mom also loved springtime, Stibnite, spending time in the mountains, the holidays (especially Thanksgiving and Christmas), baking Christmas cookies with her grandkids and nieces, birthdays, family reunions, the Fiddle Contest, especially since her family would all gather together to watch the parade in front of her home.

She loved to do arts and crafts and made many beautiful ornaments and holiday decor. Mom was an expert in journaling and made many beautiful books for her children and grandchildren. How grateful we are to have these family keepsakes! She loved bowling, was on leagues for many years, loved playing softball and riding four-wheelers in the mountains with dad.

Mom had several people she took care of through the years, Dot, Goldie and Lena to name a few. If mom wasn’t home preparing meals for the family, she’d be gone helping a friend, doing their hair, or taking them a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup. Son Kerry clearly remembers her blowing up a few bread machines from making hundreds of loaves of bread for the world. “I would come home, smell fresh bread baking and think cool, gonna have some fresh-baked bread. Next thing you knew she was gone — delivering it to someone who was sick or in need!”

Mom hosted many a family reunion over the years at our family home in Weiser for dad’s family who mostly lived in Utah, Alaska and Arizona.

Mom worked hard her entire life. Not only did she take care of four children while dad was on the road working construction, she worked late nights at the Canton Chinese Restaurant for many years with owners Frank and Lena Wong. They thought of her as a daughter and were the closest of friends until they passed.

She also worked at Ore-Ida in Ontario for many seasons sorting apples with good friend Joyce Winslow and met many others while working there that she was very fond of.

Mom worked at Darling Drugstore for Don Darling for many years and she truly loved working there. Mom and dad became great friends with Don and Marilyn and spent many a late-night playing Pinochle!

From Mom’s Personal Record

“I was born into this world on a cold winter day in February. Our home was a small two-room house and this is where my mother gave birth. The town of Circleville, where I was born was very small, the population around 600. I had an older brother Jerry, who was 2 years older than me, a sister Arlene who was born on Dec. 10, 1932 and lived just 8 days. After my birth, I was followed by a sister, Patsy and a brother Randy. My father and mother worked hard to provide for us. My dad was a sheepherder in the early days and had to be gone for long periods of time. In the summer months, when we weren’t attending school, we would sometimes get to go to the mountains with dad, a very special time as I loved the mountains. We would ride horses, feed the baby lambs and do lots of fun things!”

“Circleville will always be special to me. I loved the surrounding mountains and the leisure days I spent as a child just taking time to smell the flowers. Wonderful Memories!”

Mom was preceded in death by parents Arlo and Vera (Ipson) Mansor, Husband, Heber DeVere Wilkins (July 29, 2013), infant sister Arlene, sister-in-law Helen Mansor, brother Randy Mansor, infant great granddaughter Audrey Mae Vycital and grandson-in-law, Derek Gisness.

She is survived by her brother Jerry Mansor, Sister Pat (Dennis) Womack, children and spouses, Debra (Dean) Martens, Marla (Dennis) Kerfoot, Kerry (Leslie) Wilkins and Monty Wilkins.

She is also survived by twelve grandchildren and spouses, Megan (Rob), Holly, Ryan (Amy), Jill, Lindsey (Dan), Nichole (Evan), Natalie (Jesse), Kylee (Steve), Brady (Bryce), Ty (Amanda), Abi and Madi.

She is survived by fifteen great grandchildren + 2 that will arrive in the spring and numerous special nieces and nephews that she dearly loved.

The family would like to thank the caregivers at The Cottages of Weiser. We so appreciate the loving care given to our mother, especially during her darkest days, to name a few, April, Erika, Johanna, Gabby, Lucy, Brenda, Arty, Yvonne and Nurse Toni. You are our heroes!

A heartfelt thank you to Heart n’ Home Hospice for the special care they also gave our mom since November — Megan, Ben, Colin, Krystal, Eric, Cheyenne and Sonya. Thank you all for your kindness and compassion!

We would also like to thank our Aunt Pat who was there to love and support mom, and all of us, when we couldn’t be by mom’s side ourselves. We will be forever grateful!

We love you mom and will miss you so! You have been our angel on earth and will continue to be our guardian angel in heaven.

 

“Those we love, don’t go away,

 they walk beside us everyday…

unseen, unheard, but always near,

still loved, still missed and very dear.”

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