Beverly Van Wyhe

Visitation with the family present was held Friday, December 26, 2025, from noon until 3:00 p.m. at the Jurrens Funeral Home of George.

A memorial service was held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, December 27, 2025, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in George, IA, with burial to follow in the Evergreen Lawn Cemetery at George, IA.

Beverly “Bev” (Bechler) Van Wyhe was born in northwest Iowa on September 4, 1943. She lived the first 18 years of her life on a farm doing farm chores — milking cows, feeding cattle, pigs, and chickens, and cleaning their pens. She also did much of the housework, including cooking meals, baking, and cleaning.

Bev spent her elementary years in a one-room country schoolhouse about one mile from their home. She attended high school in George, IA, where she worked as a secretary for the school superintendent. It was around this time that Bev met Willie, a man she met through her brother, Johnnie. Willie and Johnnie worked in a factory together. Willie and Johnnie enjoyed working on cars on the farm. Willie noticed Bev on the farm holding a pie. Willie asked her if she could cook. It was the beginning of their romance that led to 63 years of marriage.

Shortly after graduating, Bev was seriously injured in a car accident just before she was to move to Omaha for secretarial school. For several days, it was unknown if she would survive. Willie realized that he couldn't live without Bev during this critical time. He stayed with her in her hospital room and fed her through a straw, as her jaw was wired shut. Bev did not go on to secretarial school due to the recovery from the accident.

Willie joined the Army in November 1961. Bev and Willie were married at Immanuel Lutheran Church in George, IA, on June 8, 1962, where they were the first couple to be married there, and the same church where her funeral will be held. Willie and Bev made their first home in Spokane, WA, where he was stationed. Bev worked as a secretary for a construction company.

Willie was transferred to a base near Stuttgart, Germany. Shortly after, Bev joined Willie in an apartment in Sindelfingen, Germany. They visited many castles, cities, and countries while they lived in Europe for 20 months. In November 1964, they took a ship back to the U.S., where Willie received his discharge.

After traveling to many East Coast sights, they settled in Worthington, MN, where Willie worked as an office manager and had their first child, Cindy, who was born on February 10th, 1965. They moved to George, IA, where they enjoyed living in the area where they grew up and where most of their family still lived. Their second child, Sherri, was born in George on July 4th, 1968.

In 1972, they moved to Webster City, IA, so Willie could start work as an office manager at Modern Farm Systems. Willie traveled frequently for work, while Bev busied herself raising their two daughters and working at a warranty repair station for washing machine transmissions, their first business venture. She repaired thousands of them!

While in Webster City, Bev and Willie started golfing and met lifelong friends. They also became certified scuba divers. Willie earned his pilot's license, and the family flew to many cities, primarily in the Midwest. Bev passed the written exam to become a pilot, and the girls loved to fly. Willie even used to cut the engine and trick fly when Bev wasn't in the plane, leading to Sherri's adrenaline junkie ambitions.

Bev and Willie traveled to many countries, including Europe, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Mexico, El Salvador, and Japan.

In 1983, Bev and Willie started their own company, manufacturing industrial plastic parts and assemblies. It was named Vantec, Inc. They built two plants, one in Webster City, IA, and the second one in Falls City, NE. Bev's roles included the office manager, accountant, vice president, and treasurer. Cindy and Sherri joined the family business, where it was all in the family. They grew the business to employ 250 employees.

In 2001, Bev and Willie purchased a lake home in Clear Lake, IA, so they could get away from work and start to think of retirement. They spent many weekends with the family and friends. Most winters, they spent a month on a beach in Ft. Myers Beach, FL. In September 2020, the family sold Vantec, Inc. to Angstrom Automotive Group. Bev and Willie sold their house in Clear Lake, IA, and moved to Branson West, MO, where they lived in a beautiful home with great views of the Ozarks and Table Rock Lake. They met many great friends there!

Bev's life is a testament to her determination and strength to get through anything. She loved her family and husband. Their relationship is genuine and beautiful, a true fairy tale! In the last years of Bev's life, she lived in Castlewood Memory Care, where Willie would travel 40 miles each way, every day, to spend all day with her and was devoted to her care and happiness.

The last week of October 2025, Bev and Willie moved to Peachtree City, GA, to be near their youngest daughter, Sherri, so that she could help them and to be near family in their golden years in a warmer climate. The morning after Bev's memory care Christmas party, she got up unassisted from bed, fell, and broke both her hips, which led to a rapid decline in her health, and she passed to Heaven one week later to truly spend Christmas at Home.

She is survived by her husband, Willard Van Wyhe of Peachtree City, GA; daughters, Cindy Van Wyhe of Webster City, IA; and Sherri (William) Behrendt of Sharpsburg, GA; grandchildren, Nichole Hotzler, Ryan Jeffers, Aaron Jeffers, Cory Behrendt, Nicholas Behrendt, and Ashley Behrendt; siblings, Johnnie (Sandra) Bechler of Casa Grande, AZ; Roger (Donna) Bechler of Denver, CO; Ronnie Bechler of George, IA; Robert Bechler of George, IA; Ida Mae (Gene) Kruger of George, IA, and Myron (Jackie) Bechler of Sheldon, IA. Brother-in-law, Kerwin Van Wyhe of Denver, CO; brother-in-law, Art (Joanne) Van Wyhe of Zeeland, MI; sister-in-law, Jan (Gary) Bomgaars of Denver, CO; brother-in-law, Daryl (Marvella) Van Wyhe of Hull, IA.

Beverly is preceded in death by her father, John Bechler; mother, Ida Bechler; father-in-law, William Van Wyhe; mother-in-law, Nellie (Verberg) Van Wyhe; sister, Mary (Bechler) Smid; and sister-in-law, Wanda Bechler; brother and sister-in-law, Jack and Marlene Timmer; sister-in-law, Fran Van Wyhe.