Beverly Havens' Obituary
Heaven gained another angel on Friday, August 15, 2025, when Beverly Havens, from Morrison, Illinois, went to be with her Lord.
Beverly was born in 1936 to Thyra (Thor) and William Gore of Clinton, Iowa. She was the eldest of three children, her brother Richard and sister Pauline preceded her in death.
Beverly graduated from Clinton High School in 1954 and attended Clinton Junior College and the University of Iowa. She met Thomas Havens in high school, where they became sweethearts, and they were married in 1956 at St. Stephens Church in Clinton, Iowa.
Following graduation, the couple were stationed at Fort Benning in Georgia and later at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. After military service, the couple returned to Clinton where Tom joined the family business at Clinton Lincoln Mercury. They soon welcomed their children Stacee Havens Melville (Cape Coral, FL) and Steve Havens (Wheaton, IL).
Over the years, Tom and Bev became world travelers, taking excursions through Central America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. They hold especially fond memories of friends with whom they travelled to various destinations and most especially on Barefoot Cruise sailing vessels in the Caribbean. Some of Beverly’s adventures included white-water rafting in Alaska, riding a mechanical bull in Arizona (when she was age 70), dancing the Hula in Hawaii, drinking kava kava in Fiji, canoeing the Avon River in New Zealand, kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland, viewing giant tortoises giving birth in Tobago, and riding the Chunnel from London to Paris. For nearly 20 years they wintered in Mesa, Arizona and Gulf Shores Alabama.
Over the years, Beverly worked as a school librarian, a teacher's aide, an accountant, and a preschool teacher. She volunteered her time with various community organizations, and she was a member and Chaplain of her local chapter of PEO. She, along with her family, were active members of St. Paul Lutheran Church for many years and most recently a member of Zion Lutheran Church.
Beverly was the loving grandmother to Christopher (Tracy) Melville of Buckley, MI and Nicholas (Christina) Melville of Aurora, IL and was adored by her great-grandchildren Gavin, Braden, Camden, Ava, Sadie, and Maya.
Memorial Services will be 11:00am, Saturday, August 23, 2025 at the Clinton Chapel Snell-Zornig Funeral Homes & Crematory. Visitation will be from 10:00am to the service time at the funeral home Saturday. Burial will be in the Clinton Lawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to St. Judes or Wounded Warriors.
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