Beverly Jane Atkinson

Beverly Jane Atkinson, 80, of Dubuque, died at home suddenly, surrounded by her family on December 5, 2020. 

A celebration of life service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 15th, 2021 at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Dubuque. Burial will be in Dubuque Memorial Gardens at a later date. For those unable to attend, a recording of the service will be on Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory's Facebook page following the service.

Bev was born to Orville and Doris Schultz on May 17, 1940 in York, NE. In 1953 her family relocated to Dubuque, IA. She graduated in 1958 from Dubuque Senior High School. She was an executive secretary for A.Y. McDonald prior to having a family. She returned to the workforce when her children were older and was a secretary at Dubuque Screw Products until she retired. 

Bev was married to the love of her life, Merlyn G. Atkinson, on July 20, 1959. They met for the first time at the Lancaster High School homecoming dance. It was love at first sight. Mert asked her to dance and they danced together for the next sixty-one years. 

Bev spent years on road trips with her husband collecting antiques. Bev loved playing volleyball with her friends and celebrating after with victory drinks. She had lifelong friends through card club and Marine Corps Auxiliary and League.  

Bev taught Sunday school for over twenty years at St. Marks Lutheran church and then served on the Altar Guild at St. Peter Lutheran church for over twenty years. Her love was shown through many years of fostering babies as well as expectant mothers. Bev loved getting together for long lunches with her best girlfriends at Los Aztecas to enjoy margaritas and laughter. 

Bev was a busy mother in her younger days and always volunteered to bake cookies, haul kids around to activities, attend her kids’ volleyball games and cheerleading events. We have many memories of the red station wagon as Bev was always the mom to offer the ‘stranded kid’ a ride home. With four kids of her own, she sometimes came home with extras and had to turn back around to bring an extra kid to their own home. She continued to chauffeur her grandkids to their events, as well, and was very involved in their lives, sometimes mistaken for their mother rather than grandmother because of her youth and beauty. Bev loved her family passionately. Hosting Packer parties on Sundays surrounded by her family brought her great joy. Go Pack Go!  

Bev’s naivety and wit always produced laughter and warmth to those around her. Her kindness was incomparable. Her loss will be felt tremendously by her family and everyone who knew her, but especially by her husband who loved and cherished her deeply. 

Bev is survived by her husband Mert and four daughters: Angie (Don) Heim, Darci (Gary) Breiner, Marnie (Karl) Kane, Erin (Dan) Hayes; six grandchildren: Mandy (Jake) Lindecker, Jessica (Tyler) Bosveld, Olivia (Nate) Murphy, Avery Kane, Spencer Hayes, Sami Hayes (Aaron Harbin) and Amanda Hayes; great grandchildren: Lexi and Adrian Bosveld, Waylon Lindecker, Arianna Murphy, and baby Murphy on the way; through marriage several more grandchildren and great grandchildren have blessed Bev’s life. 

Bev is survived by her sister Bonnie Klepper of Waco, NE, her brother Bud (Sue) Schultz of Dublin, GA, and Mike (Carmen) Schultz of Shaker Heights, OH, and several nieces, nephews, and great nieces and great nephews. 

Bev was preceded in death by her parents, her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Delbert and Vera (Speth) Atkinson, her brother-in-laws and sister-in-law Leonard (Squeaky) Atkinson, and Clinton and Iretta (Puddles) Atkinson, and Milton Klepper. Also, her dear close friends Nick Schuster, Sharon Cate, and Bernie Wagner. She was also preceded in death by her beloved cat, Buddy.

We are so thankful to Dubuque EMS and Dubuque Police Department for their empathetic care of Bev during her final hours. We also want to thank Leonard Funeral Home for their compassion as well as her Amelia Drive family for their kindness throughout the years. 

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.