Redford, Beverly Ann (Harper)

Beverly Ann (Harper) Redford, 80, of Marion, passed away Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012. Memorial Service: 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Center, Marion. The family will greet friends one hour before the service Thursday at the funeral home.

Beverly was born April 28, 1932, in Hickman Mills, Mo., the daughter of Glen and Beth (Reynolds) Harper. She attended school in Hickman Mills and Latour, Mo., and graduated from Holden Missouri High School in 1950. Beverly attended college for a year at Central Missouri State College (now University of Central Missouri) in Warrensburg, Mo. On April 21, 1951, she was united in marriage to James W. Redford. They spent the first years of their marriage in Holden, and then moved to Centerville, Iowa, where Beverly was very involved with her children's education and activities, including PTA and 4-H. In 1967, the family moved to Marion. Beverly began her career at Rockwell Collins that year, and retired in 1994. She first worked at assembling radios and held several other positions over the years, including key-punch operator, procedure writer and industrial engineer. Beverly loved her work at Collins and had many friends there. After retiring, Beverly volunteered at the Carl & Mary Koehler History Center, working mainly in the library. The History Center became her second career, which she enjoyed as much as her first! Beverly had a great love for history and genealogy and was always eager to learn and share. She was an avid reader and needle worker, loved playing cards and Trivial Pursuit and worked two or three crossword puzzles every day.

Beverly was preceded in death by her husband, parents and two brothers.

She is survived by her five children, daughter, Linda (Bruce) Blazek of Parkville, Mo., and sons, Ed (Kate) Redford of Highlands Ranch, Colo., George (Liz) Redford of Eagle, Colo., Tim Redford of Marion, and John (Jackie) Redford of Poplar Bluff, Mo.; sister-in-law, Donna Harper of Kingsville, Mo.; nine grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Carl & Mary Koehler History Center, in memory of Beverly.

Please sign the online guest book for Beverly at under obituaries.

Published in The Gazette Nov. 6, 2012.