Beverly Arlene MinnichMoundridge, KS

Beverly Arlene (Laird) Minnich, 85, of Moundridge, KS, passed on to heaven on January 3, 2026. She was born on June 23, 1940, in Altoona, PA, to Nellie Sylvia (Logue) Laird and Earl Spurgeon Laird.

Beverly's early years were marked by challenge and resilience. The oldest of her mother's second family, she was one of 15 children, 12 of whom survived to adulthood. In that early household, her mother Nellie really knew how to stretch a dollar. Her father, a railroad worker, may have favored his eldest daughter because she was his first child, and Beverly frequently spent summers at her grandparents' house, where her grandmother Helen Laird became a profound influence in her life. She remembered regularly walking a mile to church with Helen, seeds of a faith that would sustain her through difficulties ahead. When Beverly was 9, a fierce family argument resulted in her being placed with Children's Aid Society in foster care, where she remained first in the Children's Home and then with a number of foster families until she completed high school. Beverly would later compare the story of Joseph being sold into slavery in Egypt (Genesis 37-47) to her own life experience and find God's purpose in difficult circumstances.

In 7th grade, Beverly was placed with Alma Cherry and became very active in the Bellwood Church of the Brethren. She would remain active in the Church of the Brethren for the rest of her life, and would maintain her relationship with Alma until Alma's death at age 104. Three years later, when Alma was moving out of state, Beverly stood up in front of her church family, asking for someone to take her in. Youth leaders Jack and Verna Carlin volunteered, and Beverly's children would grow to know them as their grandparents.

Beverly found stability and lifelong friendships during her high school years at Bellwood-Antis High School and enriched her spiritual life at Camp Harmony in Hooversville, PA. Her junior year of high school, Beverly decided that upon graduation she would do something for God. She joined Brethren Volunteer Service, serving at Williamson Road Church of the Brethren in Roanoke, VA, half time with the church kindergarten and half time as secretary for Church of the Brethren Annual Conference moderator Earl K. Ziegler.

During her three-month training at New Windsor, MD, she met Dale, the love of her life. They carried on a two-year correspondence while he was out of the country and married a year later on June 16, 1962. Their ministry and life together took them to Wilmington, OH, Oak Park, IL, Quito, Ecuador, Jamestown, ND, Winona, MN, Elgin, IL, West Chicago, IL, and finally Moundridge, KS. Throughout their journey, they remained deeply active in church work. Beverly served in many district and local leadership roles and as youth leader, child care organizer, disaster child care worker, and Sunday school teacher.

Beverly was an excellent baker, and was known for her homemade breads, pies, cookies, and candies. She was many things: feisty, fiercely loyal, strong-minded, and loving. Above all, she embodied hospitality. She went out of her way to welcome the stranger, to maintain connection with friends and family, and to ensure that all who crossed her threshold knew they were valued and loved.

Beverly is survived by her husband of 63 years, Dale E. Minnich of Moundridge, KS; three children: David W. Minnich (Lynette) of Hendersonville, NC; Susan I. Williams (Mark) of Hutchinson, KS; and Paul D. Ullom-Minnich (Marla) of Moundridge, KS; five granddaughters: Sarah Ullom-Minnich of New Haven, CT; Rebecca Ullom-Minnich of Terre Haute, IN; Helen Ullom-Minnich of Wichita, KS; Jessica Ullom-Minnich of Seattle, WA; and Laura Ullom-Minnich of San Francisco, CA; two sisters: Iva Lou Meyer-Mellow of Clearwater, FL, and Sharon Fanale of Port St. Lucie, FL; and many nieces and nephews.

We will miss her.