BEVERLY JEAN CLAIRE JAHRAUS

Jahraus, Beverly Jean Claire, of Laguna Beach, was born on November 19, 1924 in Santa Ana, CA. She passed away peacefully in the presence of her loving husband, Richard (Dick) Jahraus, family and friends on Monday, September 20, 2010. Beverly grew up in Newport Beach on the Balboa Peninsula. Her parents were Lloyd Calvin Claire and Josephine Dickie Wilson. Beverly was the only daughter born to Dickie and Lloyd. Living on the Peninsula was a wonderful world. Beverly lived on Balboa Peninsula across the street from the library at 112 East Bay Avenue. Lloyd Claire owned a service station on Balboa Peninsula. Later he started a Five and Ten Cent Store in Newport Beach. Lloyd got the idea to build an indoor miniature golf course. When the Depression hit he had just finished building it. The building is still standing today. It is where the Spaghetti Company is located. Lloyd was also a Newport Beach City Councilman. Lloyd died May 13, 1943. Dickie Wilson Claire was a telephone operator at the time of the Depression and she supported the family during the Depression. On September 26, 1946 Dickie married George Pross. Beverly was a very popular student at Newport Harbor High School. She was a good student and outstanding athlete. While attending the University of California Santa Barbara after World War II, Beverly met Dick Jahraus also a student at UCSB. Dick was from Laguna Beach. One weekend she asked Dick for a ride back to southern California and from that point on they were "an item". Beverly and Dick were married September 7, 1947 in the St. James Episcopal Church in Newport-Balboa. The newly weds spent their honeymoon the first night at the Mission Inn, Riverside and then to Big Bear. The story goes that they also hunted jack rabbits in Lucerne Valley. Beverly was so surprised at how large they were she forgot to shoot them. Beverly and Dick continued their education in Santa Barbara. They had a great time in Santa Barbara. For two months they lived on a dude ranch 30 miles north of Santa Barbara. Stories of Bev's chili cooking brought laughter each time she told the story. As the chili boiled down she kept adding another can of tomatoes instead of water. It was not edible. Beverly's mother later gasped at the story. College days behind them, Beverly, Dick and son Joseph Richard III journeyed back to Laguna and moved into a home on Temple Terrace. Back in Laguna Beach, Dick began working fulltime for his father, Joe Jahraus at Laguna Beach Lumber Company. A second son, Jeffrey Lloyd, was born July 9, 1951. In 1952 the family then moved to 450 Cliff Drive, a piece of property that had been first lived in by Elmer Jahraus. Elmer purchased the Cliff Drive house in 1912. Soon after moving Bev and Dick had a daughter, Jennifer. Beverly brought enthusiasm to every adventure she encountered. She loved to give parties, many friends remember the great Fourth of July parties. Beverly loved to play bridge with friends once a week and she was an avid golfer. Beverly always looked forward to her jazzercise classes. During her younger years she was a member of Junior Women Club. Beverly and Dick traveled many places together and with family and friends. They traveled to Kenya, Egypt, London, New Zealand, Bora Bora, Fiji, New Caledonia, Peru, Chile, train trip across Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, golfing thru the Southern States, numerous trips to Arizona, Colorado, Montana, throughout California including Lake Mohave, and Owens River trips. The New Years' and Easter trips were great. Beverly's favorite places were the Owens Valley and Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. Beverly is survived by her husband, Richard Jahraus; sons, Joe Jahraus and Jeff Jahraus of Laguna Beach; daughter, Jennifer Jahraus of Sedona, Arizona; grandchildren, Molly Jahraus of New York City, Sally Jahraus and William Jahraus, Laguna Beach; daughters-in-law, Linda Jahraus and Susan Jahraus. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Beverly's memory be sent to National Stroke Association, 9707 East Easter Lane, Centennial, CO 80112, 1-800-787-6537, www.stroke.org or the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 4002018, Des Moines, IA 50340-2018, 1-800-435-7669, www.redcross.org.