Beverley J. Barth

When Beverley Barth was in her 70s, she began writing a book that would tell the story of her life. She titled it Just Keep Driving. The title reflected the themes of her life: The wanderlust she felt growing up in a tiny Montana town. The sense of adventure she shared with her beloved husband, George. The humor and love with which she met the joys and challenges of raising five children. The courage she showed in the face of loss. And the determination with which she conquered her fears. Through it all, she just kept driving. Beverley Bohna was born in 1927 in her aunt's little yellow house, just off Main Street in the small town of White Sulphur Springs, Montana. Her grandfather had rushed to the wide open wilderness of the west and settled there when the town still had wooden sidewalks and streets of dirt. He passed down his pioneering spirit to his granddaughter. Growing up in the Great Depression, Beverley sat in a movie theater watching a travelogue about Paris and dreamed of going there someday herself. Later, while attending Montana State University, she met George Barth, a man who became her confidant, her husband, and her best friend. ""George was my courage,"" she wrote. They had five children, Steve, Diane, Valerie, Brad, and Lisa, and along the way, George showed Beverley the world. When George, who was in the Air Force reserves, was stationed in France, Beverley met him there, moving across the Atlantic alone with four small children. Once, while driving through Paris, Beverley and George became hopelessly lost. Beverley, who would rather look at the city than at the map, told George to ""just keep driving"" and they would eventually find their way. Later, the family moved to northern England, now with five children. They returned to the States in the late 1960s, and for a year, Beverley raised the children alone while George served in Vietnam. In 1983, George died suddenly and Beverley found herself once again alone, facing unbearable loss. She just kept driving. Beverley worked for Weberg Furniture in Denver, but her real love was her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren. She remained the heart of the family. A few years after George died, Beverley decided to take a driving trip across the country. She drove alone, stopping in little towns along the way, listening to Rachmaninoff in the rain. In her 70s, Beverley decided to pursue another dream, writing the story of her life and the life she shared with George and the kids. She leaves her book as a legacy to her grandchildren, along with her spirit of adventure, courage, and endurance. Beverley is survived by her son, Steve Barth, and his wife, Maryann; daughter, Diane Hart; daughter, Valerie Sweizer, and her husband, Jim; son, Brad Barth, and his wife, Pam; and daughter, Lisa Couch, and her husband, Greg. She is also survived by her ten grandchildren: Traci Barth; Kyle Halseth, and his wife, Morgan; Kristen Halseth; Steven Barth; Jon Barth; Kelsey Barth; Michael Couch; Jenny Couch; Jackson Barth; and Jillian Barth. She is also survived by her brother, Don Bohna. Please share your memories of Beverly and condolences with her family by selecting the ""Sign Guestbook"" button.