Beverly Helen (McCrea) Seitz

Beverly Helen (McCrea) Seitz had a zeal for life and an innate intellectual curiosity. She was born on January 6, 1946, to Helen (Bear) and Max McCrea, the 5th of 6 children.

She and Bob Seitz met in 1968 and fell deeply in love. Together, they built a successful farm business, first renting land and, over time, buying the land closest to their home. They were a perfect complement to each other and were side-by-side for their 56 years of marriage. They enjoyed participating in tractor shows, traveling to visit their children and grandchildren, and working together on their farm and in their garden. They had just retired after last year’s harvest and planned to travel more often in their retirement.

In addition to co-managing the farm, Bev worked for many organizations over the course of her life, including the Nebraska Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS), Beatrice Printing, Gage County Welfare Department, Dempster Industries, and many other jobs. Her daughters loved hearing about her experience working at Lowell Beer Apothecary as a young adult, where Lowell kept her in stitches with his humor.

Bev volunteered at many organizations over her life, serving as a board member for the YWCA and the Gage County Extension Board. She gave many hours of service to the Church of the Brethren, The Gathering Place in Lincoln, and the local Election Board. She helped start a Women in Action group to support the Southeast Nebraska Co-op and to keep women farmers aware of issues and innovations in agriculture. Bev was generous to the core. She would help anyone who she could and gained joy from making people happy.

She relished the monthly meetings with her friends in the Riverside Extension Club - a group of women that started meeting in 1968 and continued to just a few years ago. With her sisters Velda and Barbara and their aunt Esther (Bear) Dell, she loved spending time doing genealogy. She enjoyed organizing kids in games – including her famous treasure hunts - and loved to delight others with fun surprises.

Bev attended college at SCC-Fairbury, UNL, and the College of St Mary in Lincoln. While in high school, she received the highest award in the Girl Scouts - the Curved Bar Award.

Bev was a loving mother to Angie and Heidi, inspiring in them a love of travel and exploration. She encouraged them in academics, activities, and careers. She encouraged and supported them to go to college and to study abroad to gain a broader perspective of the world.

Bev was preceded in death by her daughter, Angela Seitz, her sister, Velda Jaeger, and brothers Don and Clifford McCrea. She is survived by her husband, Robert Seitz; her daughter, Heidi Seitz; her sister, Barbara Fisher-Schweppe; her brother, Dennis McCrea; and her grandkids, Helen, Peter, Beckett, and Sadie LaRue.

After a couple of years of rapidly worsening dementia, Bev passed away from a heart attack while on a walk with her dog on the farm she loved. Although she will be missed dearly, she made such a strong impact on her daughters and grandchildren that her presence lives on in them.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the YWCA at 5631 S. 48th St, Ste 410, Lincoln, NE, 68516; 402-434-3494 or ywcalincoln.org.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 6, at the Holmesville Church of the Brethren at 10:30 am, followed by lunch. Condolences may be left online at www.harmanwrightmortuary.com. Harman-Wright Mortuary & Crematory in Beatrice in charge of arrangements.

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