Judith Beach

Judith A. (Lawler) Beach, age 86, passed away at St. Catherine’s Living Center on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, under the care of CHI Hospice. 

A time for visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 30, 2023, at Vertin-Munson Funeral Home. Funeral services will begin at 1:00 p.m. with Colette Barton officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery in Wahpeton. Services will be livestreamed and can be viewed on Judy’s obituary page at www.vertinmunson.com.  Arrangements have been entrusted to Vertin-Munson Funeral Home, Wahpeton.

Judy was the daughter of Daniel and Hazel (Giddings) Lawler.  She was born on October 18, 1936, in Breckenridge, MN.  She grew up and attended school in Breckenridge, graduating in 1954.  She then went on to attend NDSSS in Wahpeton for one year in the secretarial program.  She met the love of her life through mutual friends, Stanley (Skip) Beach from Wahpeton.  They were united in marriage on June 2, 1956, at St. Mary’s Church in Breckenridge.  They made their home in Dwight, ND and then to Tyler, ND, Conde, SD, Barnesville, MN and finally in West Fargo, ND.

Judy held various bookkeeping jobs, her first job in the catalog department at Montgomery Wards.  From here she went to work for Sturdevant’s Auto Parts.  She continued working there until they moved to Conde, SD, in 1971, where she did the books for Skip as he ran the elevator.  Once they left Conde in 1978, they relocated to Barnesville, MN, where Judy commuted to Moorhead, MN to work for Red River Tool/Dye in inventory and bookkeeping.  From there they made West Fargo, ND their home, where Judy worked for Gold Label Feed until Skip’s health began to fail and she needed to care for him.  After Skip passed on February 9, 1995, Judy went back to work for Todd’s Gas and Convenience Store on 13^th Ave. for a short time before working at the Fargo Dome concessions.  She worked there until her health forced her to retire.

Judy and Skip enjoyed following the FM Redhawks and the NDSU Bison basketball teams.  They were season ticket holders for both events.  You could find Judy at the Redhawks games with a scorebook in her lap.  She kept score for all their home games and Maury Wills could be heard asking Judy if she got that play correct.  She loved going on bus trips to various casinos and enjoyed putting puzzles together.  In the days when her eyesight allowed, she challenged counted cross stitch projects, gifting many to others.  She loved the socialization with employees where she worked as well as the residents and staff at Siena Court, where she called home since 2017.  A fall in August forced Judy to move into St. Catherine’s Living Center.

She was involved in the Fargo Eagles and the Conde Legion Auxiliary. 

Judy leaves behind her sons, Steve (Becki) Beach, Fairmount, ND and Doug (Laurie) Beach, Foley, Al; two grandchildren, Sarah (Steve) Elfman, Devils Lake, ND, their children, Simon, Shyley and Stockton; Alex (Angela) Beach, West Fargo, ND, their daughter Adelynn; step grandson, Mike (Shelby) Larson, their children, Brooklyn and Kinsleigh; and numerous nieces, nephews and close cousins.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Skip; an infant daughter, Wanda; her parents; two brothers, Bob (Wilma) Lawler and Tim (Mary) Lawler; and her sister, Geri Pat (Doug) Ishaug.

A big thank you to the staff and residents at Siena Court and St. Catherine’s for the care they provided Judy for the past six plus years.  Also, thank you to CHI Health at Home Hospice for their care in her final days.