Bev Doddridge
Beverly Marie (Malone) Doddridge died Sept. 21, 2019. She was born Oct. 13, 1960, at the Kit Carson hospital in Burlington. Her parents, Park and Virginia (Pelle) Malone of Stratton, brought her home to meet her four older brothers. Being the first daughter of the family, she was spoiled, to say the least. She was soon acquainted with a younger brother and a younger sister. When Bev was a teenager, a nephew was welcomed into the family as well and became another younger brother.
Bev began her schooling and education at the Catholic school in Stratton until the school closed, and then she attended the Stratton public school until graduation in 1979.
Bev loved riding horses with her dad and siblings. In high school she tried out and was crowned Kit Carson County fair queen. She was active in choir and band, singing and playing trumpet. She also loved drama and performed in many high school plays. Her first job was at the Stratton theater working concessions and cleaning up after shows. Later she started waiting tables at the Golden Prairie Inn in Stratton and then the Burlington Motor Inn in Burlington. She took her job very seriously, and sometimes after night shifts she would sleepwalk into her parents’ bedroom to take their food orders.
Coming from a large family, Bev had many cousins, nephews and nieces. She would talk with fondness about vacations with her family and visiting cousins.
Bev graduated from high school in May of 1979. In late June 1979, Bev and her sister Trudi decided to go to Bonny Reservoir one Sunday afternoon. She was sitting at a picnic table when a young man came up to her, sat down, and asked her a “high-class” question: “Wanna beer?” She said “yes,” and a loving relationship started. Their first date was to Yuma on July 3 for the 4th of July fireworks show. After that first date, they attended those fireworks for almost 30 years.
The guy who asked Bev if she wanted a beer was Glen Doddridge from Kirk. Bev and Glen were married on May 24, 1980, and resided at the Doddridge family farm northeast of Kirk. In November, they welcomed to the family a daughter, Jamie Marie. A year later in December, a son, John William, was also added.
With only 13 months separating Jamie and John, Bev had her hands full for the next three years. Their third and final child, Jackie Christine, joined the family on Feb. 15, so Glen and Bev celebrated Valentine’s Day in the hospital that year.
Bev loved to be outside in the yard or her garden or helping Glen with chores on the farm. She learned how to and enjoyed canning fruits, vegetables and meats. She also loved to be in the kitchen. She was intentional about teaching her children how to cook and can and garden, and each of those skills continue in her now adult children and are being passed on to Bev’s grandchildren.
The first few years of marriage, Bev focused on being a mom and housewife. Then a neighbor called and said that he was going to work elsewhere and wondered if Bev would be interested in driving school bus for Liberty School. She drove bus for about three years before having problems with her eyesight.
In 1992 she took a job as the assistant cook at Idalia School. She met Jane Uphoff, the head cook, and Crystal Bergstrom, the dishwasher, and the three of them became great friends and had so much fun working together.
As Bev’s children grew older, she enrolled them in 4-H and she became involved as a leader. She enjoyed teaching many kids in the Kirk and Joes communities how to cook. When her kids entered middle and high school, Bev also became a proud sports mom. She was present at every game, cheering loudly from the stands.
During her employment at Idalia School, Bev starting having fatigue and balance problems, and after seven years, she had to give up the physical work at the school. She wasn’t unemployed for long, however. An office position opened up at Bonny Feeders in Idalia, and Bev applied. On her first day, John Cure asked her to weigh a truck on the scale. With confidence, she walked over and nailed it on the first try. She worked at Bonny Feeders for the next 10 years, and she often spoke about how much she enjoyed the friendships she had with the other employees there. Eventually the balance issues and fatigue forced Bev to stop working.
Bev had been officially diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1992. She had a strong faith in God, and she went through each day never complaining or being bitter about her debilitating disease. She sought to enjoy the things she loved for as long as she was able. She cherished her friendships and stayed in touch with people via social media. When she was no longer able to read books, she got connected with an audio library, and she enjoyed countless hours listening to novels on tape.
One of her greatest joys was her grandchildren, and she helped cultivate their knowledge of Jesus and their imaginations through storytelling and royal tea parties at the kitchen table. Instead of praying for healing for herself or focusing on her own problems, she would spend hours each day praying for other people, hoping that they would accept Jesus as their Savior and have eternal peace. After a long, hard battle at the end, Bev went home to be with her Jesus on Sept. 21.
Those preceding her in death were her father, John Park Malone; grandparents, Hank and Catherine Pelle and William and Edith Malone; brothers, Mark Malone and Ken Malone; and numerous extended family members.
Survivors include her husband, Glen Doddridge; children, Jamie Doddridge of Greeley, John and wife Jocelyn Doddridge of Wray, and Jackie and husband Micah Seyler of Joes; mother, Virginia Malone; brothers, Jack Malone, Don and Joyce Malone, Russ and Dareline Malone, Jim and Cindy Malone, and Rob Malone; sister, Trudi and Doug Schiel; grandchildren, Kevin, Natalie, Addison and Javen Doddridge; mother-in-law, Dorelene Doddridge; brother-in-law, Lynn and Renada Doddridge; sisters-in-law, Debbie Thompson and Nancy and Gerald Allen; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
Because of Bev’s love for gardening, cooking and canning, memorial gifts can be given in Bev’s honor to the Yuma County Fair to support and encourage the participation and continuation of the open class home economics department.
The funeral service was held Sept. 30 at the Idalia School, with Pastor Joel Finck officiating. Interment followed at the Kirk Cemetery.
Baucke Funeral Home directed the service.