Beverly Coburn

Beverly Jane Coburn, age 90, of Yakima, went home while in her sleep to meet her Savior on January 23, 2018 (perhaps He whispered to her, as to the little girl, “Talitha Kum, Beverly, wake up and come home”). Mom was born in DeKalb County, Indiana in the home of her late parents, Harvey M. Dawson and Ferne (Cook) Dawson. She is preceded in death by her son Marc Dawson Coburn (she’s being interred with him at the Reservation Community Memorial Park, as her husband (J. Franklin Coburn) and she planned in 1967, when Marc died, having preset the stonework to include them as Marc’s parents). A wonderful place for her, and eventually Dad, to be at rest awaiting the resurrection. Mom was a high-school graduate (Garrett High School, Garrett, Indiana) in 1945, she then went to college at Indiana University where she received a Bachelor of Science degree, she received her Nursing Degree from Methodist Hospital in Indiana shortly thereafter and was a Registered nurse, off and on, until she turned sixty-five. Off and on because she had to follow her husband into the Congo, as missionaries for the Disciples of Christ (didn’t get married to Dad until she had that degree! Degree in 06/1951, married 07/1951 and Marc born 05/22/1952 (10 months later, y’all). She also had to raise her five children (Dad helped); one (Janis Ann Coburn) was born in Brussels, Belgium on the way to the Congo (after learning French in school for years and then refreshed at Yale University, Mom and Dad really learned it when in Belgium for their final French finishing school). Her two older kids (Marc and her second born, James A Coburn) were Hoosier born, her two youngest (Roger Brent Coburn and Peter Lyndon Coburn) were born while in the Republic de Congo and then Zaire, (same country, different times). One of our favorite pictures of Mom is her Passport photo for travel from Congo to Indiana (via Jerusalem, Europe and other sites) in 1959ish, she is holding Roger and has Marc, Jim and Janis in front of her – so beautiful. She is survived by all those people except for Marc. Mom and Dad were chased out of the Congo in 1964 (Chinese communist supported war between tribes) and moved to White Swan, Washington to minister from the Log Church. At that point Mom began her nursing career (at Memorial Hospital, yes, where she passed away this past Tuesday morning). She worked in other hospitals at Walla Walla, Everett and back to Yakima as she followed her husband around in his new career as a Social Worker for the state of Washington. After they retired in 1992 (both of them turning 65 in the same year) she then turned her attention to being a helper of her kids and grandkids (free daycare, and unreturnable loans, etc). She is survived by her husband Frank, her children (as per the above) and nine grandchildren (eight of them attending her internment service, one being stationed in Ramstein AB in Germany). She also has five great grandchildren, two step-great grandchildren and another great-grandchild on the way. She is also survived by her little sister (Roberta (Dawson) Jordan) who lives in Dekalb County, Indiana. Private family burial was held at Reservation Community Memorial Park. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Beverly Coburn, please visit our flower store.