Beverly Ann Hewson was born on July 5, 1940, on a ranch in South West North Dakota near Amidon, in Slope County, Peaceful Valley Township.  She was the 8^th child of Earl and Daisy (Remington) Hewson.  She was soon joined by two other sisters to become a family of 10 (5 boys and 5 girls).  Beverly was affectionately known as her dad’s late firecracker, when she was little.

     Beverly’s first 8 years of her education took place while attending country schools in Peaceful Valley Township and 1 year at Belfield.  After her grade school education, she attended all 4 high school years in the New England Public School system where she graduated with honors on May 29, 1958.

     On September 5th, 1958, Beverly started college at Dickinson State College.  When she graduated from college in May of 1959, she had attained a degree in Rural Elementary Education that allowed her to teach in a rural school consisting of grades 1 – 8.  Beverly and her friend Pat Roberts, who was from Spokane, WA signed contracts to Strehlow Country School, 6 miles south of New England.  Beverly taught the upper 4 grades and Pat taught the lower 4 grades.  They each had 13 students.  Their signed contract was for 9 months at $2,925.00. 

     After teaching for 3 months, Beverly purchased her first and only car, a 1954, 4 door Ford.  Beverly did not have a driver’s license but convinced her parents she did not need a driver’s license until she bought a car.  She won the discussion.  Beverly’s favorite Country and Western song is “I Got a Car” by George Strait.

     After teaching at Strehlow School for the year, Beverly felt that the field of education was where she wanted to be, so she went to Dickenson State College in the fall of 1960.  Her friend Pat had decided that teaching was not for her, so she went back to Spokane after the school year was over. 

     Beverly attended Dickinson State College with her sisters, Sherryl and Vivian for the 1960-1961 school year.  Beverly earned her Elementary Education Degree in May of 1961.  She helped her parents on the ranch during the summer and signed a contract to teach 5^th grade in the Brady, MT school district, for a salary of $3,800.00, which included teaching high school physical education. 

     Beverly had always loved books and reading and wanted to earn a degree in Library Science.  Therefore, when the 2 girls from Brady that she taught with decided to get married, Beverly decided to go back to school again.  She enrolled for summer courses at Bemidji State College in Minnesota and then in the fall of 1962 at Minot State College for a 2-year course to earn a degree in Library Science. 

     On April 26^th of 1964 while completing her senior year in college Beverly met David Medalen through a “blind date” that was arranged by her sister Vivian.  To say it was love at first sight for both Beverly and David would not be a stretch of imagination!

     Beverly graduated from Minot State College on May 29^th, 1964 and invited David to spend the Memorial Day weekend at the ranch where he could meet her parents as well as her brothers and sisters, not to mention all her nieces and nephews that she loved and was so proud of. 

     Beverly interviewed for a position teaching 8^th grade English and Literature as well as being the High School Librarian at Lakota High School.  She was offered the job at a salary of $5,000.00 for the 1964-1965 school year.  She would teach classes with 32 and 36 students respectively, plus her library responsibilities.   Beverly signed the contract and 2 of her college friends, Betty and Janice Nyhusmoen and she embarked on a trip to the New York World’s Fair.  Their trip took them to 22 states on the eastern coast and central US.  Beverly and David exchanged letters while in New York City, Washington, DC and Selina, KS (Beverly had a car).     When Beverly got home from the trip in July, she helped her parents on the ranch until late August 1964 when she moved to Lakota to start her new teaching job.  Beverly and David courted more by letter than they did in person in their year of courtship.  During that span of 13 months they exchanged over 250 letters (all of which they still have).

     Beverly loved her library responsibilities and good naturedly teased David that she had 2 loves; him and the library, which was a tossup, so it was up to him to win her over.  He eventually did but, in the process, had to help her get the Lakota High School Library in shape.  So, any Sunday that David could get to Lakota was a chance to go to church together and afterward a nice dinner that Beverly prepared and then up to the school and organizing the library. 

     On September 27^th, 1964 David asked Beverly to marry him.  She only said one word but said it 3 times.  It was Yes!  Beverly and David continued their courtship mostly by mail during the winter of 1964-1965 because of the brutal cold temperatures, winter storms and icy roads.  It was 130 miles from David’s farm to Lakota and often travel was not advised especially late at night. 

     Beverly Ann Hewson was Baptized, Confirmed and joined the Lakota Lutheran Church on May 16, 1965.  David and his mother Harriet were her sponsors.  Beverly and David were married, May 29^th, 1965 at Lakota Lutheran Church.  After a wedding trip to the Black Hills, David brought his beautiful new bride to their farm south of Willow City, North Dakota where they spent the next 53 plus years farming, dairying and ranching not to mention raising a family.

     Beverly was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in December of 1978.  She carried on for the next 40 years despite the crippling effects of the disease, helping her husband and raising their family of 4 children.  Beverly’s motto in life was, “When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to laugh.” She was a woman of deep Christian faith and God plus family was her only crutch.  She taught Sunday school for many years until it was too hard on her to get around.  

     Beverly passed away peacefully early Friday morning, February 1, 2019 at the Heart of America Medical Center with her doctor and caregivers at her bedside.  She was always kind, courteous and thankful to those who helped.  She was truly a remarkable woman who loved the Lord and shared that faith with family and friends.

      Beverly leaves her best friend, companion and husband David who would have been married for 54 years in May 2019.  She also leaves their son Keith and his wife Nikki, their son Carter and his wife Mandie, their daughter Amber and her husband David Sherman and their daughter Sharon and her husband Shane Walker. 

     She also leaves grandchildren, Tiffany Fox-Medalen, Kristi and Helen Medalen, Brianna and Chloe Sherman and Warren, Ella and Grant Walker; Sisters, Sherryl Ladson and Vivian (David) Dinius; sisters-in-law, Maggie (Roger) Hewson, Fern (Roy) Hewson and Sadie (Dewey) Hewson plus 25 nieces and nephew; other relatives and many friends.

     Those that passed away before her are her parents Earl and Daisy Hewson, brothers Roger, Harvey, Roy, Lee and Dewey and sisters Earlene and husband Ed Schurke, Rita and husband Don Ehrmantrout, sister in law Donna (Harvey) Hewson  and brother in law, Rod (Sherryl) Ladson.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 9^th at 11:00 a.m. in the Zion Lutheran Church in Towner with spring burial in the Willow City Memorial Park Cemetery.  Pastor Linda Wimmer and Mr. Wally Fretland, S.A.M. officiants.

Visitation will be from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Friday in the Anderson Funeral Home in Rugby and for one hour prior to the time of the service on Saturday in the church. There will be a time of prayer and sharing of memories with the family at 6:00 p.m. Friday, at the First Lutheran Church in Willow City