Obituary

Verna Mae (Buckner) Beam, age 88 of Bellingham, passed away on Monday, January 4, 2021. She was born on November 17, 1932 to Zeala and Elmer Buckner in Bellingham and has lived here most of her life.

She graduated from Bellingham High School in 1951 and started working at Bellingham National Bank right after graduation.

She later left Bellingham to move with her husband Joseph when he was stationed in Guam, then Oakland, CA and Trenton, NJ. They finally returned to Bellingham to live and raise their family.

She was very involved in Camp Fire Girls and was the leader of her daughter’s Camp Fire Group from elementary school through high school. She was also very involved in her sons’ school sports, especially wrestling. She and Joe spent many evenings at Sehome High School wrestling matches, tournaments (sometimes volunteering as time-keepers and score-keepers), football games, and basketball games. She also had a great love of roller skating, taking lessons and continuing to skate until 5 years ago. She was also a member of the First Congregational Church of Bellingham for over 50 years.

Verna is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Joe, who she missed every day for the past 27 years, both of her parents, her sister Rita McCallum, and her brother-in-law Dave McCallum. She is survived by her children, Karen (Rance) Bayman, Ken (Anne) Beam, and Kris (Wendy) Beam, her six grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren.

There will be a private family graveside service and a Memorial Service/Celebration of Life at a later date when we can all gather together again.