Beverly "Bev" Lou (Kolkhorst) DeVore
June 7, 1926 — April 1, 2014
Beverly “Bev” Lou (Kolkhorst) DeVore
20,000 Volunteer Hours -
Beverly “Bev” Lou (Kolkhorst) DeVore, age 87, of Mechanicsburg , and formerly of Carlisle , died at LifeCare Hospital in Mechanicsburg on Tuesday, April 1, 2014. Born in Keyser, WV, on Monday, June 7, 1926, she was the daughter of the late Emmett Carriens Kolkhorst and Elsie Huffman (Gull) Kolkhorst. Bev was the widow of William “Bill” Harold DeVore, Sr. whom she married on July 2, 1945, and who died on January 30, 1990.
Bev’s survivors include her two daughters, Patricia “Pattie” Sheaffer and her partner Jim Rapp, Jr. of Mechanicsburg, Heather Zielonis and her husband Tim of Mechanicsburg; her two sons, William “Bill” H. DeVore, Jr., and his friend Monie Harshman of Willow Hill, Duncan Kent DeVore and his wife Lori of Perkiomenville; her thirteen grandchildren; Carly, Cortney, Barbie, Elizabeth, Andrew, Hannah, Jordan, Duncan, Noah, McKenna, Will Laura, Michael; and her eight great grandchildren, Jacob, Bradyen, Joshua, Blake, Christian, Jonah, Macie, and Lena. Among those preceding Bev in death are her brother Emmett Kolkhorst, Jr.
Bev was a loyal member of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mechanicsburg having joined in 1952. Over the years, she was involved in virtually every aspect of church life. Bev was a member of the choir for more than 40 years, she was a Church Council Member, a member of the Altar Guild, she served on numerous committees, and she wrote the words to the 140 th Anniversary Celebration Hymn. At her core, Bev’s life was centered on her Christian Faith and her church.
Service to others was a constant theme in Bev’s life which was reflected in the 20,000 plus hours of volunteer work for the American Red Cross which earned her a place in the Red Cross Hall of Fame . Bev wrote, directed, and produced five (5) plays at Cumberland Crossings in Carlisle, the proceeds of which benefited nursing assistants who dreamed of furthering their educations. The scholarship fund still exists today. She was a fantastic mother and grandmother, always standing behind her children and mentoring them through their lives. “Mom was beyond fantastic.” She will be deeply missed and always loved.
All are welcome to join Bev’s family at her visitation on Friday, April 4, 2014, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Myers - Buhrig Funeral Home and Crematory , 37 East Main Street, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055; and on Saturday, April 5, 2014, from 9:00 a.m. until time of funeral service at 10:00 a.m. at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church , 132 East Main Street, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055; with The Reverend Joel S. B. Folkemer officiating. Burial will immediately follow in Mechanicsburg Cemetery . Honored to be pallbearers are: Bill DeVore, Jr., Duncan DeVore, Duncan DeVore, II, Noah DeVore, Jesse Pownell, James Rapp, Jr., Andrew Sheaffer, and Tim Zielonis. Bev’s family invites everyone to join them for a time of food and fellowship at her church following the burial.
The family suggests memorial contributions to her church, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church , 132 East Main Street, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.