Obituary of Beverly J. Churchill

Beverly June Churchill, 84, went home to her Lord and Savior on May 24, 2018 in Wisconsin Rapids at Renaissance Assisted Living.

Services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 30 at Herman-Taylor Funeral Home in Wisconsin Rapids. Rev. Dan De Roche will officiate. Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until the time of services on Wednesday at the funeral home. Internment will be at Restlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.

Bev was born in Biron, WI on June 7, 1933 to parents William and Alice (Abel) Machon.

Bev married her sweetheart William Churchill in 1954, whom she met while they were both employed at Consolidated Papers Inc. She is survived by her children Jan Churchill (Randy Kell) of Annapolis MD, and children Todd Kell (Taylor), Sarah (Ben Merriman) and Emily; Kay (Todd Ferkey) of Wisconsin Rapids and their children Amanda, Darin, Anne (Dustin Pankratz) and Allison; James (Connie) of Stevens Point and children Eric, Kevin (Jamie), and Scott; Kristin Churchill (Jaal Ghandhi) of Madison WI, and their children Nora and Alex.

She is also survived by her great-grandchildren Meg and Haley Kell and Amelia Churchill, and her dear sister Betty Jeanne Dachel (Phil) with whom she shared many laughs and hands of Canasta.  She is further survived by sisters-in-laws Shirley Voll of Baraboo, Donna Nowicki of Wisconsin Rapids, and Patricia Churchill of Beaverton, Oregon. Her husband died in 2015. She is also survived by Frosty, her beloved Maltese.

Bev enjoyed her family, traveling, writing short stories and poetry, and sketching still lives.  Bev has always had a keen interest in genealogy and instilled that interest in her children. She took the Churchill line back to the Mayflower and well beyond. All of this was accomplished well before the age of the internet.

While her children were young, Bev volunteered with many organizations, showing that community service is an important facet of life. She served as a Lutheran Girl Pioneer leader, Willing Workers president, Christian Women's Club chairman, was involved with the Writers Group, the Czech Society, and was a cheerleading coach.

While Bev raised her family in a strict Christian household, abiding by the Churchill Manor Rules, she also made sure we were loved. Bev loved music and introduced her kids to a variety of artists. While her top music was from the 1940s, her favorite song was Tangerine, which we heard often. We also danced to the Beatles, sang with Patsy Cline and Ella Fitzgerald, and laughed as she sang the Hut Sut Song.

Bev loved pool time, where she could be found floating for hours, camping, especially in the later years with grandkids, and traveled in Europe, the Caribbean, and had a special fondness for the Sunbelt.

We will miss our mother’s joy of life and her contagious smile that could put a smile on any face.

We would like to acknowledge Dr Ruta Pakalns and Dr Ewert at Marshfield Medical Center, the DaVita dialysis centers that cared for her, and the wonderful folks at Renaissance Senior Living where she was well cared for and loved (thank you Maria!).

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the charity of your choice in memory of our mother.