Funeral service: Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 2:00 pm at Community Presbyterian Church in Terry, MT.
Interment: will follow at the Prairie County Cemetery.
Beryl Reukauf, age 84, of Oceanside, California and formerly of Terry, Montana, passed away June 17, 2010 in Oceanside.
Beryl Barnes was born on June 16, 1926 to Edward and Evelyn (Tredgold) Barnes in London, England. She was the youngest of seven children and was raised by her mother and siblings upon the death of her father at a very young age. She attended school in London and worked at a dress shop in her neighborhood as a girl. When the World War II Battle of Britain began, her neighborhood, which was near the Thames River, came under nightly bombardment from Hitlers bombers. She and many of the children of London were evacuated to the relative safety of rural England. The older members of her family were all involved in the war effort, serving as soldiers, nurses, and ambulance drivers, so Beryl and her sister Evelyn moved to Winchester to live for the duration of the war. She continued her schooling and worked at a dress shop in Winchester.
For entertainment she and her girlfriends attended dances at the USO club, where some of the thousands of American servicemen stationed in southern England would go for fun. It was here that she met her future husband, Bob Reukauf, a tank commander in General Pattons Fifth Army. After not having seen each other since 1943 when Bob shipped out for the invasion of North Africa, he asked her to marry him and she said yes, so Beryl sailed for America on the Queen Mary in June, 1946. Bob met her in New York, and they journeyed to Mt. Hope, Wisconsin, where they were married June 30, 1946.
Following their marriage, they moved to the family ranch on Cherry Creek near Terry, Montana, where they began their life together. Bob and Beryl and his brother Art, and his wife June bought the family ranch from Bobs father. They were later joined by their brother Walt and his wife Phyllis. They put together a nice ranch that is celebrating its centennial this year. Beryl often joked that her first view of the plains of Eastern Montana was breathtaking! She said she would have returned to England, but couldnt ride a horse, didn't know how to drive a car, and no one would take her to town. Her first home in Montana was a sheepwagon, but before long they moved into Bobs parents house. Bob and Beryl were married for 43 years before he passed away on the ranch in June 1989. To their union were born three children: Paul in 1947, Rob in 1953, and Ruth in 1962. In later years they enjoyed traveling, visiting Hawaii, England, and their favorite, Ireland.
Every few years, Beryl journeyed back to England to see her family and many English relatives visited the ranch. After Bobs death, Beryl moved to Oceanside, California, where she made many new friends and was active in church activities. She said that she spent 40 years in Montana, and that she intended to spend her next 40 near the sea. Beryl was known for her sense of humor and the gift of making the best of a bad situation. Many stories have been and will be told of the city girl from London ending up on a dryland ranch in eastern Montana, and her experiences while there.
Beryl is survived by her three children: Paul and wife Carol of Lancaster, CA, Rob and his wife Judy of Terry, and Ruth of Yakima, WA. She has four grandchildren: Shawn of Lancaster, CA, Robert and his wife Dawn of Grand Prairie, TX, and Jill and Robbyn of Terry. Two great grandchildren, Tyler and Chase Kurfess live in Lancaster, CA. She is also survived by her sisters Evelyn Edwards of England as well as her special sister-in-law and friend June Reukauf of Miles City.
She was predeceased by her parents, husband, brothers: Ted, Bill and Alfred, and sisters Lil and Eileen, as well as her dear friend Dorothy Stith.
Prayer service will be held on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 6:00 pm at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Terry, MT. Funeral service will be held on Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 2:00 pm at Community Presbyterian Church in Terry, MT. Interment will follow at the Prairie County Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting: www.stevensonandsons.com
Memorial gifts may be made to the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch. Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home of Terry has been entrusted with the arrangements.
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