Isla Fay Beman

Isla Faye (Clausen) Beman, our beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, lost her long struggle with Alzheimer's on Sunday April 2, 2017 at the Broken Bow Care and Rehabilitation Center in Broken Bow, NE.
Isla was born on her father's cotton farm at the "Big Four", near Ralls, in Crosby County, TX, on New Year's Eve, 1922. She was the 5th child born to Claus and Petrea Marthena (Christensen) Clausen, Jr. In 1926, when Isla was just 3 years old, the Clausen family had to leave Texas and move back to Boelus, NE, when Isla's mother, Petrea, underwent Escharotic treatment for cancer in Savannah, MO. When the family was reunited, Claus purchased a farm near Boelus. Isla grew up on that farm during those difficult hard times of the Great Depression and "Dust Bowl Dirty Thirties". She told us of times when it was so dusty they had to tie wet bandannas over their nose and mouth to breathe, as they watched their crops wither and die, or be devoured by clouds of grasshoppers who even ate clothes hanging out to dry. Once in a while her mother could spare a nickel out of the egg money so Isla could pursue her lifelong love of the piano and take a few lessons from her Aunt Lydia. Isla attended Boelus Public Schools, graduating from high school on May 9, 1940. After graduation she moved to Grand Island, NE with her sister Ethel who was in nurses training at St. Francis Hospital. Isla helped her with her studies and then after she was capped, they both got work at The Old Soldiers' and Sailors' Home. It was there, in the spring of 1941, on a blind date, that she met and fell in love with Orval C. Beman. He was almost immediately drafted into the army on June 17th and sent to Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. While home on furlough, they eloped and were married in Aurora, NE on November 1, 1941. They were married for 59 wonderful years. While Orval was serving in the South Pacific during WWII, Isla lived with her mother and father-in-law, Eva and Abe Beman, on their farm at Cairo, NE. She and Abe worked in the Grand Island Ordinance Plant, which produced artillery shells. Orval was wounded on the Island of Luzon in the Philippines on January 25, 1945. He finally recovered and was discharged on October 21, 1945 at Ft. Lewis, WA. After the war, Isla and Orval moved to North Platte, NE where he resumed his job with the Union Pacific, taking a transfer into engine service as a fireman. He eventually was promoted to engineer. Isla was a homemaker, and also gave piano and accordion lesions, and was active in Cody School PTA. After the family was raised, she worked for Elsie McGovern's Answering Service as a PBX operator, and then for many years as a sales clerk / florist at Leo's Flowers. She and Orval retired in 1978. They enjoyed 22 happy, active years of retirement together, enjoying square dancing, bicycling, swimming, hiking, and most of all travel and camping in their 5th wheeler. They spent winters in Texas and Arizona, and summers with their family in Nebraska. Among Isla's many hobbies over the years, were fishing, skiing, music, sewing, reading, crossword puzzles, and Husker football. She was a member of the 1st Evangelical Lutheran Church, and later West End Chapel. She was a life member, since 1946, of the Ladies Auxiliary of the V.F.W. Post 1504 North Platte, NE. In Arizona she volunteered as a bell-ringer for the Salvation Army.
Isla was preceded in death by her loving husband Orval; her parents Claus and Petrea Clausen; brother Clyde Elgin Clausen; and sisters Lorraine Marian Clausen Peppmiller, and Cathryn Fern Clausen Bernhagen.
She is survived by her 2 sons Kenneth (Susie) Beman, Sr. of North Platte, and Richard Beman of Omaha; sister Ethel Clausen Claus of Seattle, WA; grandson Kenneth Beman, Jr. of Charlotte, NC; granddaughter Shelly (Mike Robb) Beman of North Platte; great granddaughters Willow Kovanda of Omaha and Faith Beman of Charlotte, NC; as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.
Memorials are suggested to Asera Care Hospice of Kearney, NE and online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com. Funeral services will be held 1:00 p.m. Friday April 7, 2017 at Adams and Swanson Funeral Home with Pastor Gary Smith officiating. Burial will follow at Ft. McPherson National Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Thursday April 6, 2017 at Adams and Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.