Dr. Beverly Wade Brekke-Bailey, age 95 of Boerne, Texas, formerly of Springfield, Illinois, Madison, Wisconsin, Wasilla, Alaska, and Grand Forks, North Dakota, passed away peacefully on September 18, 2024, in Boerne, Texas. Beverly was born on July 18, 1929, in Newton, Massachusetts, the daughter of Raymond and Miriam Boardman. She graduated from Wheelock College, Boston, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in Education in 1951. She received an M.Ed. in 1967 and an Ed.D. in 1971 from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. She was a professor of special education until she retired in 1988. During that time, she published 92 research articles and evaluation reports. In 1982 she was the first woman to receive the Sigma Xi Research Award. In 1986 she was honored with the UND Foundation and B.C. Gamble Award for Individual Excellence in Teaching and Service. She received a Bush Summer Fellows Award for post-doctoral studies in educational gerontology and was the State Director of the North Dakota Elderhostel from 1979-1987. In 1987 the Beverly Brekke Scholarship Endowment was established to provide scholarships for graduate students in special education. After Beverly retired from UND as a full professor in 1988, she served as the Director of Research and Development for Life Quest, a mental health agency in Wasilla, Alaska, until 1998. During that time, she was awarded fourteen housing grants totaling over six million dollars providing 64 units of housing for the chronically mentally ill. In 1999, she retired to Madison, Wisconsin where she resided for 12 years. During 2011, she moved to Springfield Illinois to be near her physician daughter, Dr. Karen Hoelzer, and in early 2024 she moved to Boerne, Texas to be closer to daughters Karen and Karla. Beverly loved her family, friends, and church fellowships. She valued sharing education and art with others.
She is survived by her three daughters and daughter-in-law: Karen (Alex) Hoelzer Vilcinskas and Karla (Kirk) Marchell of Boerne, Texas, Kari (Gudjon) Brekke of Stoughton, Wisconsin, and Veena Brekke of Madison, Wisconsin. Her eleven grandchildren include Arune Brekke, Erik Brekke, Anjuli Brekke, John Hoelzer, William Hoelzer, Kathryn Hoelzer McEvilly, Kristin Marchell Langrill, Conner Marchell, Keith Marchell, Kristjan Gudjonsson, and Anna Gudjonsdottir. Beverly was preceded in death by her son, Kristian Brekke, of Madison, Wisconsin, brother Richard Boardman of St. Louis, Missouri, and parents.
A memorial service will be held at Laurel United Methodist Church, 631 South Grand Avenue West, Springfield, Illinois on October 5, 2024, with visitation at 10 AM and Celebration of Life at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Beverly Brekke Scholarship Endowment, checks payable to UND Foundation with Beverly Brekke Scholarship Endowment noted in the memo, and mailed to University of North Dakota Foundation, 3501 University Ave Stop 8157, Grand Forks, ND 58202.
To leave condolences for the family, please visit www.ebensberger-fisher.com.
Arrangements with Ebensberger Fisher Funeral Home of Boerne.