Beverly Rogene Doerksen

Beverly Rogene Doerksen passed into eternity September 8, 2020, following an extended battle with pancreatic cancer. She was born in Rochelle, Illinois, May 20, 1937, to Emma (Zimmerman) Van Amburg and Francis Leroy Van Amburg who divorced when she was quite young. She was raised by her mother and several aunts who all lived together in a two-story house in Rochelle. In those days money was tight, but food was plentiful, and she grew up with a very caring and loving mother. The family regularly attended St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Rochelle and Christ’s teachings were part of her upbringing. As a child, Bev had many fond memories, especially roller skating, learning to play the piano and violin, and spending time with her dog, Trixie. Bev graduated from Rochelle High School and then moved to Chicago to attend Kendall College to learn secretarial skills where she became proficient at dictation with an ability to type 100 words per minute (on a manual typewriter). While attending college, she met the love of her life, George, who saw her ice skating at a local rink. He made his move…the rest is history. They were married November 30, 1957, and moved to Newton, Kansas, where they began their lives together. Shortly after moving to Kansas, Bev made the decision to publicly confirm her faith in Christ through baptism at the Bethel Mennonite Church in Inman, Kansas. The early years of their marriage were difficult with Mom supporting Dad while he attended college and worked night jobs. It was during this time they were blessed with the arrival of three sons, Randy, Russell and Ryan, adding a male dynamic that was new to Bev. Having been raised in a house full of women, Mom had to learn to adjust to living with four often mischievous males. Bev often said after being raised in a house full of women, she loved being surrounded by a house full of her boys. She was a real trooper. For a number of years, the family would take extended camping vacations, a concept that was initially foreign to her, but something she eventually embraced (sort of). As the boys approached the teen years, their father decided it would be a good idea to purchase off-road motorcycles and many excursions ensued. Mom would treat our wounds, tell us to be careful, and then treat us again when we reinjured ourselves. Bev’s preference would have been to play the piano and attend concerts…but she was more than willing to adjust to the desires of her “men”. Mom brought class and culture to our lives. The brothers all have fond memories of listening to Mom play the piano in the living room. Although she was also a skilled First Chair violinist in school, she gravitated to the piano, serving as an accompanist for men’s choir groups, accompanying grandchildren’s music recitals, and playing sing-a-longs with the tour groups led by her and George after retirement. She was modest about her talents, but she was incredibly skilled, often playing favorite songs like Malaguena, Moonlight Sonata, and a host of hymns. In her retirement one of her favorite activities involved playing piano duets with her good friend. Mary Lou Wiens. When the boys were young, Bev was a stay at home mom who focused her energy on nurturing and supporting her children. As the boys matured, Bev started working as a librarian at Northwest High School, a position she held until retirement, at which time she and Dad began serving as tour guides for Sunflower Tours. They accompanied nearly 100 different tour groups to various locations within the United States, Canada, Europe and New Zealand. While Dad was great at leading tours, it was Mom who held everything together with her organizational skills. These same skills have been imparted to each of her three children. As the family matriarch, Bev always made sure she kept close track of her children and grandchildren. She prayed regularly for their physical safety and spiritual strength and more than anything, desired for them to have a personal and deep relationship with Christ. When any family member had trouble, she would reach out and offer counsel, compassion, and tremendous empathy. She would hold us accountable, but in a loving way. Later in life she was blessed with several new additions to the family including two new grandsons by marriage, Blake Stucky and Ethan Kossover, and her first and only great- grandchild, Navy Stucky, whom she adored and showered with all of her love. Mom’s cancer diagnosis rocked her world and challenged her in a big way about how she would approach the rest of her life. All of us have questions about our ultimate legacy and Mom was no different. While the doctors estimated she would live six months following diagnosis, God had other ideas, giving her nearly five years, something highly unusual with her type of cancer. It was during this time Mom became an angel for others at the cancer center where she received treatment. As a “regular” she developed many relationships with nurses, other patients, and enjoyed the companionship of the many therapy dogs. She made a habit of reaching out and ministering to the needs of others during her visits. There are many stories about how she shared Christ’s love with others and the many miracles she witnessed as a result of prayer and revelation by a holy savior. Beverly was a great mom who sacrificed for our family and loved her friends. But more than that, she was a servant of Christ who has gone to her reward. What joy it must have been when she heard, “well done, good and faithful servant.” She will be missed, but a life well lived is precious and enduring. We are so thankful to have been blessed by a wife and mother so dear. Bev was preceded in death by her mother and father. She is survived by husband, George; sons, Randy (Karla), Russell (Kate) and Ryan (Kellene); eight grandchildren, Blake Doerksen, Brooke Stucky (Blake), Victoria Ratcliffe, Abby Doerksen, Alec Doerksen, Emma Kossover (Ethan), Madison Doerksen and Kaden Doerksen; one great- grandchild, Navy Stucky. The entire family would like to thank the many people who helped take care of Bev in these past few years. Dr Bassam Mattar and the staff at the Cancer Center who became her friends, all the staff at Harry Hynes Hospice and Visiting Angels who held our hands as we cared for our Mom and showed us such compassion. A Visitation will be held from 3:00-5:00 p.m., Sunday, September 13, at Downing & Lahey Mortuary West. Her Memorial Service will be 11:00 a.m., Monday, September 14, at First Mennonite Brethren Church. In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established with First Mennonite Brethren Church, 8000 W. 21st St. N., Wichita, KS 67205.