Ione Flora Van Beckum

Ione Flora Van Beckum December 14, 1917 - November 11, 2007 Died peacefully in San Mateo, CA. Ione Flora La Droute's hometown was Cloquet, MN, where she met her husband, Bill (William George) Van Beckum, and where their first child, Carol, was born. The young family moved to Longview, WA, in the early 1940s, where two more children, Mary and Bill, Jr., were born. The Van Beckums' last move was to San Mateo in 1952, and the family became complete with the births of Peter, Bryant, and Janet. Ione was active in the social guilds of St. Bartholomew and St. Matthew Catholic Churches, and was a welcome addition to St. Bartholomew's choir, in which she frequently sang solo parts. As Ione and Bill's children grew up, she continued to expand her long-time interests and skills in home decorating, while at the same time literally scaling down those same interests by becoming a miniaturist. Ione not only designed and constructed miniature rooms and complete dollhouses, but also created, often from whatever simple materials were at hand, most of their elegant furnishings. In time, Ione became especially adept, using a method uniquely her own, at producing miniature carpets, fashioned on traditional and historical motifs. Her carpets became well known, and occasionally were featured in national miniaturist periodicals. She developed a market for her carpets both locally and nationally. One of Ione's favorite works was a commissioned carpet for a detailed miniature replica of the late San Francisco attorney Melvin Belli's elaborate Montgomery St. office. As long as she could, Ione loved attending miniaturist conventions, viewing the works of others and displaying her own works. At these events, she especially delighted in discussing her creations and the world of miniatures with young, aspiring miniaturists. Her husband of 57 years, Bill, and their daughter, Mary Ione Boly, preceded Ione in death, as did her parents, May and Homer La Droute, and two sisters. Ione is survived by daughters, Carol Premo and Janet; sons, Bill, Peter and Bryant; seven grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and five nieces and nephews. A Funeral Service will be held at St. Bartholomew Church, Alameda de las Pulgas at Crystal Springs Rd., San Mateo, at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, November 15, 2007. Burial will follow immediately at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, 1500 Mission Rd., Colma. Donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association.