Inskeep Brenstrom

East Moline, Illinois
Elisabeth A. Brenstrom, 85, of East Moline, Illinois, formerly of Moline, Illinois, died Sunday, October 16, 2011, at home, surrounded by her loved ones.
Services are 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Christ Church Cathedral (Anglican), 1717 8th Avenue, Moline, with The Very Reverend Canon Edward A. den Blaauwen officiating. Visitation is 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday at the church. Burial is in Riverside Cemetery, Moline. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the church for the Parish Nurse program. Trimble Funeral and Cremation Center, Moline, is assisting the family.
The former Elisabeth Ann Bechtle was born June 8, 1926, in Davenport, Iowa, the daughter of Cecil and Florence (Hamman) Bechtle. She was a daughter of the prairie who bridged the generations of those who broke the sod and those who made the machines that tilled the soil in later years. She was raised in Pleasant Valley, Iowa, and graduated valedictorian of her class of 1943 in LeClaire High School. This academic honor was achieved while working full time as a waitress in Davenport, Iowa.
She married Kenneth Lee Anthony, a decorated war hero, of Galesburg, Illinois, on December 1, 1945, but soon separated. Kenneth was later killed in a motorcycle accident. Her son, Michael, was a child of Kenneth and Beth.
She married Ralph DeVine on September 9, 1951, and remained married to Ralph until his death in 1985. They lived first in Rock Island, later moving to Davenport and then to Bettendorf.
Her daughter, Sandra, was a child of Ralph and Beth.
Beth married Robert Brenstrom on September 6, 1990. He died January 15, 2011. While she lived with Bob, they enjoyed many different adventures, (Beth learned to ski at age 60!),
traveling regularly and visiting family all over the country.
Beth raised her two children while working full time at Alcoa until 1957, after which she worked at Jenkins Truck Line until 1970. Beth worked her way up in management, ultimately gaining considerable responsibility in the daily operation of the truck line. Beth then took a position at Goodlife Insurance Agency in 1984, where she worked until 2009 as office manager.
Beth was a past president of the Coal Valley Rotary Club and a former member of the Moline Rotary Club. She enjoyed singing, playing the organ and piano, traveling all over the world, and cooking and spending time with her family.
Beth is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Mariana DeVine of Springfield, Mass.; a daughter, Sandra DeVine of Davenport, Iowa; step-children and their spouses, Paul Brenstrom of Thailand, Susan and Lewis Neff of Fort Worth, Texas, Joseph and Linda Brenstrom of Shrewsbury, Mass., Janet and Neil Randerson of Lisle, Ill., and Alicia Brenstrom-Smith of Dandridge, Tenn.; grandchildren and their spouses, Tracy and Rev Herr, Kevin Graham, Chris DeVine, Marisa DeVine, Lydia and Ben Gillespie, Alaina Randerson, Justin Brenstrom, Miranda Smith, Ethan Neff, David Neff, and Andrea Brenstrom; and five great-grandchildren.
The family invites you to share stories and condolences and light a candle in Beth?s memory at www.TrimbleFuneralHomes.com.