Boiler Bay Beacon
OAKRIDGE, Ore. — Velma LaVern Beasley, who died at home on Oct. 8, 2025 was a remarkable woman whose 99 years were filled with resilience, laughter, faith, and love — and no small amount of trouble!
Born Sept. 8, 1926, at the family home in Phoenix, Arizona, to James Pleasant Ivy and Mary Ella Young, she was one of six children, five sisters and a brother. LaVern stood out as a spirited tomboy with a gleam in her eye and a knack for finding adventure. Years later she regaled wide-eyed grandkids with stories of her youth, tales filled with grit, mischief, and humor.
In 1944, she joined thousands of women across America as a Rosie the Riveter, working in a war plant to support the nation’s effort during World War II. That experience gave her strength, independence, and pride in knowing she could hold her own in any world, among men or machines alike.
Life wasn’t without hardship. After surviving a broken marriage, LaVern made a promise to herself and to her son Paul: there would be no more threats, no abuse, no drinking, no gambling in her home. Instead it would be a sanctuary — a place filled with laughter, joy, music, parties, blessings, and the Holy Spirit. And so it was.
A working mother, Mom found her stride in business, working for Southern California Edison and Giant Chevrolet in Visalia, Calif. Those skills would later serve her well as a successful entrepreneur.
In 1950, she was baptized and confirmed into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints — an experience she described as her “most precious gift.” Her faith would remain a cornerstone of her life, sustaining her through every season.
Then came 1974, when she met Alvin Richard Beasley at a church function — and from that moment, “Dick and LaVern” became a pair everyone knew and loved. Together, they built a life of partnership, purpose, and community.
LAVERN AND HUSBAND DICK BEASLEY were partners in the Oakridge Insurance Agency., where LaVern became a licensed agent with hundreds of clients, many who became close friends.
In 1979, they moved to Oakridge, Ore., where they purchased the Oakridge Insurance Agency. LaVern wasn’t just a business partner, she became a licensed agent and full equal in every sense. For 25 years, she and Dick ran the agency with integrity, dedication, and care for their clients, many of whom became dear friends.
Music was always a part of LaVern’s life, singing in church choirs, and playing piano for services — her music lifting hearts and anchoring her faith.
LaVern was the proud mother of Paul Lee Nordin, whose premature death preceded hers. She “adopted” other sons as her own, too — nurturing, guiding, believing in them all — taking credit for a city manager, an Air Force colonel, a businessman, a journalist, and a police officer. She’d smile and say, “Not bad, Mom.”
She was a woman of clear priorities — hair done on Fridays, Sunday School and church every week, and a steady appreciation for Dairy Queen, Mexican, and Chinese food. She loved family, whose photos filled her home and were a source of constant entertainment. She held friends close, treasuring their loyalty.
However, LaVern had a knack for curling up her nose at the self-righteous and the complacent. When others said something couldn’t be done, she did it anyway. She once raised $25,000 to save the Oakridge library, to the chagrin of some city councilors who said it couldn’t be done. From then on, when she walked into a council meeting, one of them would whisper, “Here comes Trouble.” LaVern wore the nickname with delight
There was also the time she went to watch her grandchildren speed through town on a passenger train, the Cascade Special. A nosy passerby reported her for trespassing on railroad property. When the responding officer arrived, he recognized the notorious troublemaker immediately: “Oh, you’re Mrs. Beasley!” Needless to say, no arrests were made.
When the town was at its lowest in 2011 after the closure of the Pope & Talbot log mill to the Spotted Owl, LaVern arranged for the reality TV show “Secret Millionaire” to come to Oakridge to help out the impoverished town. The subsequent bequest revived the medical clinic, bought an ambulance for the fire department and gave every man, woman and child in the city $100 each.
Mom Beasley left a legacy not measured in years alone, but in the love she gave, the faith she shared, and the countless lives she touched. Lavern lived boldly, loved deeply and never stopped showing up — for her family, for her community, and for what she believed was right.
We remember Lavern not with sorrow, but with gratitude — for her love, her stubborn spirit, her songs, and her example of a life truly well-lived. Please leave your remembrances and photos in the comments section below.
By THE FAMILY Of Velma LaVern Beasley
