Bertha "Bert" Margaret Beausir

Bert was born on December 22, 1929 in Detroit, Michigan. She was adopted as an infant by her parents, John and Blanche (Kelly) Brennan, and she grew up on the Brennan Apple Orchard in Emmett Michigan, the youngest of three sisters. Bert spoke fondly of her days on the orchard helping her dad, riding the family horse and cow, and playing with their dog Hector.

She met her husband to be, Eugene R. (Gene) Beausir, at Yale (MI) High School. Bert graduated as Salutatorian (happy that by finishing second in her class, she didn’t have to give a graduation speech!), and then added a degree from Port Huron Business College. Bert and Gene were married on May 6, 1950 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Emmett. While Gene was in the US Navy during the Korean War, Bert worked for the Navy first in San Diego and then at Great Lakes Naval Station in Chicago.

Bert’s final degree was what she liked to call a PHT (Putting Hubby Through), while Gene earned his degree at Michigan State University. The first of 7 children, Karen, arrived at Great Lakes Naval Station, and was an infant during those East Lansing years. After Gene’s graduation, Bert stopped working to raise her family, and between 1955 and 1968, six more children (for a total of 2 girls and 5 boys) arrived as the family lived in Grand Rapids and then Flushing, MI.

The family moved to Elkhart, IN in 1970, where all five of the boys attended school and graduated from Elkhart Memorial HS. Bert was the quintessential Mom, attending sporting events, helping with homework, resolving disputes, and cooking, washing, shopping, etc. all with love for her children, their friends and eventually their spouses. Stories of Mom shopping and cooking are legendary - meals at all hours from after school until well into the night as the boys’ schedules varied among a variety of sports and other activities; big Sunday family dinners; and wonderful holiday feasts. The table always had room for a few extras.

Bert provided birthday cards and gifts, notes of encouragement, and personalized Christmas gifts for every individual person even as the family grew with son- and daughters-in-law and grandchildren. She seemed to attend every one of her children’s events, which was remarkable given how active they all were; and, she still found time to teach her children about giving back through volunteering and caring for those in need.

Bert and Gene moved to Indianapolis in 1995 upon Gene’s retirement, where they concentrated on traveling to visit friends and their large family, and on spoiling their grandchildren.

She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Gene; her sister, Rosemary (Brennan) Gorski; and her children: Kathy of Swartz Creek MI; Terry (Carrie) of Overland Park KS; Mike (Nancy) of Tarpon Springs FL; and Kevin (Amy) Beausir of Indianapolis IN; daughter-in-law Amelia Herold of Cincinnati OH; son-in-law Steve (Sharon) Smith of Albuquerque NM. Also grandchildren Kelly (John) Petro, Steve (Kerin) and Mike (Jessica) Smith; Christy (Jacob) Scoby, Mallory and Brad Beausir; Abby, Kelcie and Ben Beausir; Ally and Jake Beausir; Molly and Brennan Beausir; as well as 10 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Bettyann (Brennan) Winkler; and her children Karen (Beausir) Smith, Mark and Tim Beausir.

A Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated on Saturday, January 6, 2018 at 11am at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 7200 Sarto Drive, Indianapolis IN 46240, with calling beginning at 9:30am in the church. Interment will be in St. Robert’s Cemetery, Flushing MI at a later date.

In honor of Bert’s lifelong love of reading and her charitable spirit, and In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial donations to Indy Reads, an organization whose mission is to promote and improve the literacy of adults and families in Central Indiana.

For information: www.indyreads.org

To donate: https://www.crowdrise.com/donate/charity/IndyReadsLiteracy