Beverly Vandersluis-French

Vandersluis-French, Beverley Lou Ellen “Beve”, age 98, of Maplewood, MN passed away peacefully on Nov. 24, 2021 surrounded by family and holding her loving husband’s hand.
Beverley was born to Arba and Florence Bertholf on May 9, 1923 in Glyndon, MN. In 1941, she graduated from Bemidji High School and traveled to Sandusky, OH where she resided with her aunt until the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7. Following her sweetheart (Roland Gary) to Wichita, KS they married and she worked at Boeing Aircraft caring for and cataloging blue prints for the B-29 Superfortress until returning to Bemidji.
Beve was blessed with her only daughter in 1947, when Ruthine (Gary) Van Overbeke was born in Bemidji, MN. Following the end of her 19-year-marriage, she met and married Dr. Charles (Van) Vandersluis. Relocating to Minneota, where Van established a private practice. There she lived life to the fullest with friends and family while starting a small business of her own known as “Country Candy.” Beve enjoyed shaping and molding hard candy and chocolates into creative designs until Van’s death in 1986.
In 1987, Beve married Thane French. The couple moved to Nisswa, MN and settled in a beautiful home on the shore of Lake Edna. For 33 years she, and the man she always referred to as the “love of her life”, traveled the globe visiting friends and relatives while taking in the sights. Beve and Thane eventually relocated from Nisswa to St. Peter, MN then moved to Maplewood, MN where she spent her remaining years. Along the way Beve became an ardent family genealogist who loved collecting information and documenting descendants of the Bertholf surname. She was also an avid stamp and coin collector.
Beverley is survived by her husband Thane, daughter Ruthine (Ordell) Van Overbeke, Grandchildren Warren (Leanne) Van Overbeke and Lara Van Overbeke, great-grandchildren, Michael (Casey) Van Overbeke, Austin (Alexis) Van Overbeke, Madison DeMaio, Mitchell Van Overbeke, step-great-grandchildren Rebekah (Cory) Kelly, Evan Proctor, great-great grandchildren, Sophia, Jace, Savanna, Skylar, Macy, Rose and Malakai, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.