Virginia Ireland Beu

Ginny was born on October 9, 1930, in Oklahoma City to Elsie Doris Binkley and Hubert Andrew Ireland. She was delivered by her grandfather James Garfield Binkley.

At the time, her father was an instructor in Geology at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. He had met her mother in the church choir and later as a student in his Elementary Geology class. Elsie made him wait until the semester was over and she was no longer his student before she would give him their first date. They were married between semesters on January 19, 1929, and honeymooned in Mexico. Elsie was a strong compassionate woman with a wide range of interests and raised her daughter in like manner.

In 1948, Ginny graduated high school in Midland, Texas and joined her Aunt Betty Binkley at Colorado Women’s College in Denver. Also, that year, her father became a professor of Geology at the University of Kansas and her family moved to Lawrence. Starting her sophomore year, Ginny enrolled at KU majoring in Geology despite her father’s warning that suitable jobs for lady geologists were scarce. In fact, her field camp course had to be taken through the University of Missouri since the KU camp facilities were not co-ed at the time. Ginny earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1952 and was honored by the Geology Department with the Erasmus Haworth Outstanding Student award.

Although she did not know it at the time, Ginny met the love of her life Bob Beu in the fall of 1950 in the geology library. Bob asked if she read French so she could translate a geology text not available in English. She turned him down then and several other times until she agreed to their first date. They were married in the campus chapel on June 3, 1952, the day after graduation. They honeymooned in Cuchara, Colorado, the site of Bob’s geological survey for his master’s thesis.

Ginny turned down an attractive employment offer from Humble (now Exxon) to marry Bob and become the CEO of the Beu family, kept the family solvent and raised their three kids. When asked what type of rock someone had found, Bob would often refer them to Ginny as the family expert. They were a great team and were married almost 70 years.

Ginny and Bob’s children were Tom (Mesbeth), Jill (John) and Ric (Debbie). The family grew to include twelve grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren. Ginny was predeceased by Bob and Ric.

Besides her family and geology, Ginny’s interests included bridge, sewing, quilting, calligraphy, genealogy, Native American culture and art, and travel. Everywhere they lived, Ginny joined or started bridge clubs. She handmade quilts for all her children and grandchildren until she could no longer sew due to arthritis. She used her calligraphy skills to hand-address many envelopes for events such as family weddings. One Christmas she gifted a three-volume family tree that traced our roots all the way to Adam and Eve (via a royal personage attempting to prove his divine right to rule). Ginny and Bob travelled extensively after retirement, including cruises on the Rhine and Danube rivers. But most importantly to her children, Ginny put up with their (and Bob’s) shenanigans with unconditional love and support.

The family appreciates the kindness and compassion shown by hospice and by Ginny’s full-time caregivers during her final days.

A celebration of life will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, February 21 at the Chattanooga Funeral Home East Brainerd Chapel with visitation starting at 11:00 am. Interment to follow at Chattanooga Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the KU Endowment for the HA and Elsie Ireland Geology Scholarship or to Hospice of Chattanooga or to Project Gallantly Forward or to Eastwood Church.

Please share your thoughts and memories with the family online at www.chattanoogaeastbrainerd.com

Chattanooga Funeral Home East Brainerd Chapel has been entrusted with the arrangements