Beverly J. Heussmann

Bev was born October 10, 1941, at Colby, Kansas to Amos Henry and Nina Maude (Chadwick) Griffin. Her early life was spent on the western Kansas prairie where she worked alongside her father in the fields and her mother in the home. She began working the fields at a very young age before she could do little more than steer the tractor. Her daddy would help her onto the tractor and put it in gear then jump off and leave her to work the fields until the tractor ran out of gas. She was cooking, baking and sewing at an early age as well. As the youngest of 8 children, she was charged with helping to raise some of her nephews and nieces who were not much younger than her while their dads served in the war and their moms returned to the farm. She was a graduate of Colby High School in Colby and Barnes Business College in Denver, Colorado.

She met her soul mate, David Heussmann on October 21, 1959, at his family ranch at Last Chance, Colorado. He asked her to be his lifelong partner on March 11, 1960, and they married on May 28, 1960 in Bev’s hometown. They began their family legacy with the birth of their first son, Wade Scott, on October 13, 1961, followed by their daughter, Annette Jolene, on January 25, 1963, and their second son, Wendell “Jake” Irvin, on February 13, 1964.

Bev never strayed far from her rural roots. She and Dave purchased an acreage near Frederick in 1966. She “maintained the fort” while Dave’s work required long hours and extensive travel. His work in Europe afforded he and Bev the opportunity to see many beautiful places. They lived in a humble dwelling on the property while they designed and built their forever home, a mansion on a hill. Dave, Bev, and their children spent years of blood, sweat, and tears building it from the ground up. It was here that they raised their children, farmed and raised cattle, and here where she passed.

Bev worked as an administrative assistant at Montgomery Ward until Wade’s birth. She then was a stay-at-home mom until all of her children were in high school. She served as a room mother and chaperone for all of their school events and field trips. She and Dave were proud supporters of their children, spending countless hours sitting in the stands watching their athletic competitions, music competitions, concerts and musicals, serving on the school booster club, and helping to bring a high school back to Frederick. Once her children were secure in high school, she worked for a time at Firestone Greenhouse then began a rewarding career in banking at First National Bank and the IBM Federal Credit Union. She helped Wade manage his business, Aristocratic Concrete, until his passing in 2007.

Her passion in life was creating a family she and Dave could be proud of and she worked tirelessly to accomplish this. She was well known for her gardening skills and preserving her crops to feed her family. She was an incredible cook and baker and provided for her family with very little store-bought items. She spent countless hours cutting fabric and stitching it into the most attractive and durable clothing for her family. She loved quilting and embroidery and crafted very personalized gifts for family and friends. She also created treasured scrapbooks for her family and had an extensive collection of family history dating back hundreds of years for both she and Dave’s families.

Bev was preceded in death by her parents Amos and Nina Griffin, her parents-in-law Otto and Margaret Heussmann, the love of her life, soul mate and husband of 62 years David, her son Wade Heussmann, her grandsons Travis Chad Heussmann, Clayton David Heussmann and David Wade Heussmann, and her siblings Royal Griffin, Nina Mae Farmer, Dewey Griffin, Claude Griffin, Fred Griffin, and Bob Griffin.

She is survived by her children Annette McConnell and Wendell “Jake” (Brenda) Heussmann; her grandchildren Daylene (Jaycob) Abernathy, Mathew (Jeannette) McConnell, Arron McConnell, Tiffani (Daily McGrath) McConnell, and Dakota Heussmann; her great grandchildren Izabelle Chambers, Annaliese Kelso, Abby McConnell, Samantha McConnell, Summer McGrath, Aries McGrath, and Jaxin McConnell. She is also survived by her sister Opal Linville, special niece Claudia Campbell, cherished honorary family members Phil and Denise Vaughan, Jodi and Arthur Wilden, Cindy Hove, Judy Sandin and Brian Anderson.

A visitation will be held Monday, September 25, 2023, at Rocky Mountain Christian Church, 9447 Niwot Road, Longmont, at 9 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 10 a.m. with Pastor Phil Vaughan officiating. A graveside service will follow immediately and Bev will be laid to rest at Mountain View Cemetery in Longmont between her beloved husband and son. A reception will be held at Bev’s home following burial. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy are appreciated and may be shared at www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com.