Davis, Beverly J.

Beverly J. Davis 75, of Ladora, died Saturday, July 31, 2010, at St. Luke's Hospital, Cedar Rapids. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Smith Funeral Home in Victor. Interment will be at the Genoa Bluff Cemetery, near Ladora. Friends may call from noon Thursday at the funeral home. The family will be present from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday.

Memorials may be directed to the Ladora First Responders.

Beverly was born on March 12, 1935, in Hartford Township, Iowa County, Iowa, to Leland and Nadine Shaull. She was raised in Ladora and graduated from Ladora High School with the Class of 1952. On March 4, 1953, she was married to Calvin Delano Davis in Ladora. The couple lived in Ladora and were the parents of three children, Danny Lee, Dixie Dee and Diane Lynn. Besides being a mother and homemaker, she also worked at the Ladora Café, the Amana Woolen Mill and Big G Food Store in Marengo. The couple later divorced.

Bev's passions were reading, solving word and jigsaw puzzles, watching Iowa Hawkeye basketball games, discussing political and historical issues and spending time with her family. She was strong willed, outspoken, never afraid to share her opinion and always willing to debate various issues. Her nickname in high school was “Cyclone” and she liked the quote “dynamite comes in small packages” which seemed a fitting description of her throughout her life.

She was a feisty person with a soft heart and a strong will to live life to the fullest. Her family is very grateful to the Ladora First Responders, the Iowa County EMS, the staff and doctors at the Marengo Memorial Hospital and St. Luke's Hospital for extending her life.

Survivors include her children, Danny (Deb) Davis of Ringwood, Okla., Dixie Harden of Ladora, and Diane (Steve) Border of Victor; her mother, Nadine Shaull of Ladora; nine grandchildren, Sarah (Josh) Piquard of Parker, Colo., Laura (Marc) Kelley of Allegan, Mich., Shawn (Kari Maker) Harden of Jesup, Amanda (Chris) Fry of South Amana, Dustin (Roxanne) Kasal of North Liberty, Stephanie Kasal of Cedar Rapids, Jennifer (Ryan) Sullivan of Ankeny, Michelle (Tom) Wilcox of Fort Carson, Colo., and Josh Border of Iowa City; 15 great-grandchildren; and one brother, Carroll “Shorty” (Shirley) Shaull of Ladora.

She was preceded in death by her father; one nephew, Mark Shaull; and one great-nephew, Jeremiah Shaull.