Beverly Irene Koelz

Orion, Illinois

Beverly Irene Koelz, 80, of Orion, Illinois, died Friday, November 22, 2013, at home.

Services are 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 26, at CornerStone Christian Fellowship of the Quad Cities, 5106 28th Avenue, Moline, with The Reverend Jerry Helms officiating. Burial is in Greenview Memorial Gardens, East Moline. Visitation is 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Monday at Trimble Funeral and Cremation Center, Moline. Memorials may be made to the church or Arrowhead Ranch.

Beverly was born June 8, 1933, in Moline, the daughter of Glenn and Irene (Behrens) Benninger. She graduated from Moline High School in 1951, where she had been a cheerleader, and played on the tennis and golf teams.

After high school, she attended Brown's Business College and Augustana College, Rock Island. After college, she worked as a secretary at the Rock Island Arsenal, as secretary to the credit manager of John Deere Continental, Ltd., and also modeled for Peterson Harned VonMaur and Rhomburg Furriers.

She married Stephen Henry Koelz on September 10, 1961, in Moline. The couple moved to Orion, where they built a house and lived the rest of her days.

She retired from John Deere when their daughter, Kristine, was born, but continued to stay busy! She was the secretary and treasurer for the Saddleback Corporation and Koelz DX. She was a very active member of the Moline Gospel Temple, where she was a money counter, attended Bible study, taught Bible School, and had a story line for children to call that was named "Phone-A-Story". She would record a new Bible related story each week that kids could call to hear a story with a message.

She coached softball, was a Brownie Troop leader, a 4H leader, and a member of the Arabian Horse Club of America. She participated in parades and horse shows, and particularly enjoyed dressage, trail riding, and jumping with the horses. There was not a day of her life that she did not have a horse or pony.

She was a charter member of the Henry County Search and Rescue team.

Beverly became a grandmother and enjoyed following her grandson around to his activities as she had done with her daughter previous to that. He was the light of her life!

She later joined CornerStone Christian Fellowship of the Quad Cities.

She was known for her fantastic cooking, love for the Christmas season, amazing wiener roasts along the Wapsie River, her love of being outdoors, her love and compassion for all animals, her love of her family and Jesus, and for having a loving, kind, young and generous spirit toward everyone. Everyone who knew her loved her because she was as sweet as a person can be!

Beverly is survived by her husband, Steve; a daughter and son-in-law, Kristine and Kirby Kesterson of Williamsburg, Iowa; a grandson, Grayson Kesterson; and step-grandchildren, Taylor and Mitchell Kesterson. She was preceded in death by her mother, Irene, in 1971, her father, Glenn, in 1991, her father-in-law, Henry Koelz, in 1991, and her mother-in-law, Lillian Koelz, in 1998.

The family would like to say a special thanks to the folks at Beacon of Hope Hospice, Dr. Max McCaw, and Dr. Ann Kandis for the loving care provided Beverly. It will forever be appreciated.

Please visit Beverly's personal tribute page at www.TrimbleFuneralHomes.com to share stories and pictures, condolences, and send flowers.