Photo courtesy of Martin-Mattice Funeral Home - Emmetsburg
Our deepest sympathies to you all. We're so sorry to hear about Bev's passing. We all have such fond memories of hanging out at the farm with you and our parents (Marilyn and Wilbur) getting together with Tom and Bev for dinner and a bridge game. She was so beautiful and kind. We send our very best to you all (especially Marilyn). May your wonderful memories comfort you.
Marilyn, Bob, Tom, Susan & Jeff Merrill
January 02, 2026 | Estherville, IA | Friend
Dear Hayden Family, so sorry to hear about your Mom. We shared many stories back in the day when our sons were friends. Bev was the sweetest lady and always had a smile. She will be missed, but she is with you every day and keep those memories close. Love to all
DONNA JOHNSON
December 30, 2025
Precious lady
Joyce Tomlinson
December 30, 2025 | Mission, TX | Friend
Deepest sympathy to Hayden Family. What a beautiful smile n kind lady.
May wonderful memories comfort you.
Maureen ( Reeves) Horsley
December 29, 2025 | Ruthven, IA | Neighbor
Sincere sympathy to each of the Hayden family members; heaven gained an angel with the arrival of your mom. I met her at the Bethany church quilting guild. She was such a nice lady; always pleasant and had a good sense of humor too. Repeated sympathy.
Anne Marie Nelson
December 28, 2025 | Emmetsburg, IA | Friend
I remember that your mom was a good friend of my friend Nancy Lewis. This visited frequently. Your mom let me know when Nancy passed. I thanked her for that. She was a special lady. I am sorry for your loss.
JoAnn Coakley
December 28, 2025 | Emmetsburg | Acquaintance
Dear Hayden Family,
We send our sincere sympathy to all of you. Losing our parents is difficult. Your folks were good neighbors. We hope good memories help to sustain you. Doc and Marcie Frevert
Bill/Marcie Frevert
December 28, 2025 | Emmetsburg, IA | Friend
Tom and family, I am so sorry to hear of the passing of Beverly. Praying that your memories of her comfort you during this difficult time. Take care. Steve Mileham
Steve Mileham
December 28, 2025 | Friend
Beverly Ann Hayden (née Bergheim), 96, of rural Emmetsburg, Iowa, passed away peacefully on December 24, 2025, surrounded by her family.
Born October 16, 1929, near Howard, South Dakota, to Arthur and Burnette Bergheim, Beverly grew up on the prairie in a close Norwegian farming family. As a child she walked to a one-room country schoolhouse in the Belleview area with her only brother, Odell, which helped to shape her quiet strength and deep faith. After graduating from Howard High School, she attended South Dakota State University. She married Thomas Vincent Hayden on August 7, 1954. Together they built a life of love and devotion, living on the south side of Spencer and later on their farm outside Emmetsburg for more than 60 years.
Beverly enjoyed tending her flower gardens, sharing fellowship with her women’s church group at Bethany Lutheran Church, and friendships in both the Emmetsburg and Spencer communities. She took pride in her work at Crescent Electric in Spencer, where she was a skilled bookkeeper and typist.
Above all, she instilled the importance of family togetherness to all her children through her years of hosting family gatherings at holidays, birthdays, and special occasions with her love of making home cooked meals and playing card games.
She is survived by her five children: Jane (Kevin) Hedge, Thomas (Terri) Hayden, Timothy (Pamela) Hayden, Mark (Julie) Hayden, and Ann Hayden; 11 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; and many dear nieces, nephews, and friends. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Thomas (2014), her parents Arthur and Burnette Bergheim, and her brother Odell Bergheim.
Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 3, 2026, at Bethany Lutheran Church in Emmetsburg, Iowa, followed by the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. and a luncheon afterward. Service was livestreamed via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWD2Xu94f7Y.
• In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Bethany Lutheran Church and the Nature Center in Ruthven, Iowa.
A life of faith, family, and quiet grace—beautifully lived, deeply loved, forever remembered.
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