Beverly "Bev" Arens

Beverly “Bev” Arens, age 85, of Graceville, MN, passed away on Saturday, December 3, 2022, at Essentia Health – Grace Home.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, December 10, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Graceville, MN. Visitation will be held on Friday, December 9, 2022, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the church with praying of the Rosary before the visitation at 4:30 p.m. and a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. Fr. Brian Oestreich will celebrate the Mass and interment will be at Graceville Consolidated Cemetery.

The service will be live streamed and recorded and will be viewable at the bottom this page.

Beverly Ann (Skoog) Arens was born on October 1, 1937, in Graceville, MN, to George and Ruth (Eisenmenger) Skoog. She attended St. Mary’s Academy in Graceville until her senior year when her family moved to Montevideo, MN, where she graduated from Montevideo High School. On August 29, 1955, Bev married Anthony (Tony) Arens at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Graceville. Bev and Tony started their life together in Collis, MN. They later moved to their farm one mile east of Graceville where they lived until they retired.

Bev was a devoted wife and mother raising nine children on the family farm. She spent countless hours with her mother and daughters collecting eggs from the 55,000 laying hens they had on the farm. Whether she wanted to or not, Bev became a wonderful cook through preparing many meals for her family and often hired hands; fried chicken and mashed potatoes were her specialty!

Faith and family were Bev’s priorities in life. She was somehow able to get all nine children to church every Sunday and was a lifelong member of Holy Rosary Church, a religious education teacher, and youth group leader. She instilled a love for God in her children and lived out her faith every day.

Bev loved spending time with her family regardless of the activity. A favorite past-time was playing cards and she enjoyed playing cards until her last days. Many hours were spent with her children and grandchildren playing the family favorites: May-I, Rummy Royal, Golf, Sequence, and 7-Up. Going to the farm was a weekly ritual and was a place where the grandchildren loved to spend their time because of the love that was always felt there. Wonderful memories were made there, and Grandma Bev was always at the center of them.

In recent years, the great-grandchildren were the love of Bev’s life. Known to them as G. G. Bev (Great Grandma Bev), she spent as much time with them as possible, even if it meant wearing a tutu on her head, butterfly wings, or anything else they could find in the dress-up box for her to wear. All the grandchildren and great-grandchildren knew exactly where Grandma Bev kept the treats, regardless of where she was living--the breadbox at the farm and the treat drawer in her apartment or room at Grace Home!

Bev was known in the community for her sense of humor, contagious laugh, and willingness to help and accept others. She loved to laugh and could light up a room with her jokes and the “Bevvy cackle.” She always made others feel welcome in her home and became a second mom to many kids outside of the family. She also treasured the time she spent with her friends that were part of the birthday club that started over 30 years earlier.

Left to cherish her memory are her children: Pam (Pat) McDonald of Graceville, MN; Ron (Helena) Arens of Ashburn, VA; Donna Arens of Graceville, MN; Chris (Marv) Weick of Graceville, MN; Deb (Terry) Stueve of Dumont, MN; Jean (John) Costello of Graceville, MN; Sandi (Bob) Bauer of Clinton, MN; and Tom (Mary) Arens of Graceville, MN; 23 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren (with two more on the way); and many nieces and nephews.

Bev was preceded in death by her husband, Tony; daughter, Shelly; son, Larry; her sister, Jeanette Krier; and her parents, George and Ruth Skoog.