Beatrice Ione Shipley

BEATRICE IONE SHIPLEY Funeral services for Cortez resident, Beatrice Ione Shipley will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 2, 2014 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Empire Chapel. Bishop Doug Pace will be officiating. Interment will follow at the Cortez Cemetery. A visitation has been scheduled at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon at the Empire Chapel. Beatrice Ione (Fullerton) Shipley was born September 14, 1913 on the Pilot Butte Ranch near Bend, Ore., the first child and daughter of Dee W. and Bessie Brown Fullerton. She departed this life on July 28, 2014 at the age of 100 years, 10 months. During her early years, the family moved frequently, and she attended schools in Nevada, Missouri and Colorado, where she graduated from high school and in an era when it wasn't common, she attended and graduated from Western State College. During her high school and college years, she participated in sports and extra-curricular activities and in college received the AAUW Fellowship, awarded annually to the outstanding junior woman. It was at Western State that she met and married Brian D. Shipley. To this union were born five sons and three daughters. In addition to raising her large family, she led a 4-H Club for 12 years and was a public school teacher for 25 years. She was active in her professional organization, serving on various committees, and was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In addition to her church, she actively participated in the Retired Teachers Association and the Daughters of the American Revolution. During their retirement years, Brian and Bea traveled extensively in the spring and fall months. They visited all but 4 of the continental United States, many of the Canadian provinces, and most of the National Parks. They enjoyed spending the winter in Arizona and the cooler weather in Colorado during the rest of the year. She enjoyed reading, sewing and genealogy until macular degeneration destroyed her central vision. She was still able to garden and with the help of friends, was able to continue social and church activities. She is survived by her eight children, Brian Shipley (Maryann), David Shipley, Carol Tyler, Dean Shipley (Annette), Dorsey Ewing (Ron), Ken Shipley (Sheryl), Dale Shipley (Anne) and Anita Giesler (Dick); 15 grandchildren; 25 great grandchildren; and two great great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Dee W. and Bessie Fullerton; her husband of 55 years, Brian Shipley; her brother, Harold Fullerton; her sister, Maxine Shroyer; her grandsons, Mike Tyler and Jim Shipley. Memorial contributions can be made in memory of Bea Shipley to the Macular Degeneration Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 531313, Henderson, Nev. 89053