Ada E Beechley

Ada Elizabeth Beechley passed away December 16, 2014, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the Advanced Health Rehabilitation Center.  She lived in Yuma County all of her 99 years until recently moving to Colorado Springs with her daughter.

Ada was born at the family home near Vernon, Colorado, on October 17, 1915, to Leslie and Rosa (Kibel) Kier.  She was the sixth of twelve children; Charlie Kier, Bertha McDonald, Oscar Kier, Orval Kier, Mary Alley, Earl Kier, Pearl Riley, Nellie Riley, Goldie Waterman, Cecil Kier and Orie Kier who all preceded her in death.  She married Lee James Beechley on October 19, 1933, in St. Francis, Kansas.  To this union, five children were born.

Lee and Ada remained in the Yuma County area after their marriage farming in the Eckley and Vernon area until they moved to Idalia in 1949.  Lee ran a blacksmith shop and drove a school bus along with working with Ada as school janitors.  She also worked in the restaurant.

In 1956 after moving to Wray, Lee worked at the Ford Garage and Ada worked at restaurants and the nursing home.  After Lee’s death in 1980, she eventually moved to the WrayVen Manor.  She was involved in the Mildred’s Extension Club for over fifty years, had a membership at the WRAC for many years, participated in the Senior Center activities, belonged to a bowling league, and volunteered in many events.  Her favorite activities were camping and fishing with her family.  Annual campouts continued after Lee’s death with the last campout being this past summer where she enjoyed a pontoon ride and dipping her toes in the sandy beaches of Lake McConaughy.  In the last few weeks of her life, Ada enjoyed watching the deer, birds and squirrels in her backyard. The squirrels were even coming up and eating from her hand, which brought a smile to her face. Ada’s precious moments were the times she could spend with her children, grandchildren, great and great-great grandchildren.

Those preceding her in death were her husband Lee, infant son Donald, son Raymond, daughter-in law Marilyn Beechley and son-in-laws, Lloyd Newbanks and Gene Hayes, as well as one grandchild, four great –grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.

Surviving her are her children, Rolland and wife, Eunice Beechley of McCook, NE, Rena Newbanks of Otis, and Rachel and husband, Daniel McKinney of Colorado Springs, and ten grandchildren, Deena Archer, Brenda (Gene) Butcher, Barbara Bowden, Bonnie (Greg) Cliff, Rochelle Dotson, Dianna Jakabauski, Beverly (Steve) Schoenfeld, Nathan (Jill) McKinney, Russell (Ruth) Beechley and Elizabeth McKinney.  She also has surviving twenty great-grandchildren and twenty-one great-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held at the Wray Nazarene Church on December 22, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. officiated by Pastors Donald Smith, Wray Nazarene, and Joe Warrington, Grace Nazarene in Colorado Springs with interment at Glendale Cemetery in Vernon.

Spellman-Schmidt Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.