Beverly Ann Ramsey passed away peacefully at home in Chehalis, Washington on Nov. 15, 2021.
Beverly was born Aug. 27, 1938 in Glasgow, Montana to Clarence W. and May (Pierson) Henningsen. In 1940, the family settled in Belfair, Washington, where Beverly grew up in the log house her father built. She loved the water and spent her youth rowing and swimming in nearby Hood Canal. She had a beautifully trained soprano voice and sang at weddings and other events. She was active in various clubs, the Belfair Community Baptist Church and was a Forest Festival Princess. She was also a member of the Civil Air Patrol.
Beverly graduated from South Kitsap High School in 1956. She worked as a file clerk for the FBI in Seattle before marrying her high school sweetheart, Larry D. Ramsey, of Port Orchard, on Sept. 28, 1957. From 1961 to 1965, the couple welcomed four children.
Upon the death of her father-in-law in 1963, Larry and Beverly took over the family business, Ramsey Logging and Piling. In 1967, they moved to the Newaukum Valley and expanded the business to Ramsey Logging and Equipment Hauling. Beverly was instrumental in the expansion and the ultimate success of their company. The subsequent sale of that company enabled them to partner with Cascade Loggers Supply. Beverly ran the parts department with grit and humor until the store closed due to a downturn in the timber industry. As a displaced timber worker, she was finally able to attend college and earned her associate’s degree, graduating with honors from Centralia Community College.
Beverly loved to travel. The couple enjoyed an annual motorcycle trip with friends around the western United States and Canada.
Beverly was a voracious reader throughout her life. She enjoyed literary classics, biographies and novels. She also read romance novels which she likened to junk food. She was the longest continuous member of her book club, attending monthly meetings for over 40 years. She was a member of St. Helen’s Club and gave a well-researched, informative talk every two years on topics ranging from cocaine to fine art, Tom Hanks to McCarthyism. She worked tirelessly in service sorority Beta Sigma Phi rising to Xi Beta Iota.
Beverly was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Chehalis, Washington for 54 years. She was active in many service guilds, sang in the choir, served on the worship commission and pastor selection committee, was a deacon and lay reader. Every year she was instrumental in organizing the holiday lunch and bazaar. She was the driving force in the coordination of Operation Christmas Child. She was also a member of Presbyterian Women and Church Women United.
Beverly was brave, intelligent, creative and ferociously loyal. She belonged to quilting and stitching groups, attending retreats to expand her skills and friendships. She was recently learning Brazilian embroidery. She loved gardening and planted a rose garden when they moved to Chehalis which still thrives today. She spoke of Mariners and Seahawks players as if they were her own children. She had a natural ability and desire to make new friends, nurture lifelong friendships and be of service to all.
She is survived by husband, Larry Ramsey; children Jack and Lynette Ramsey of Olympia, Washington, Joan and Ken Victor of Long Beach, California, Jim Ramsey and Angela Graham of Adna, Washington, Jill Ramsey and Terry McCambridge of San Diego, California; grandchildren Ryan, Claire, Nicholas, Collin, Coda and Camber; great-grandchildren William, Hudson and Asher; along with numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and many fidear friends. Her parents, five siblings and three nephews preceded her in death.
A memorial will be held at 1 p.m. on June 4, 2022 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Chehalis, Washington, with a reception to follow at Rebekah Hall in Napavine, Washington.
In memoriam, donations may be made to the Westminster Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 710, Chehalis, Washington, 98532 or The Chehalis Foundation, P.O. Box 1608, Chehalis, Washington, 98532
