Beverly “Bev” Marie Gearin was born on Christmas day, 1951, in Aberdeen, South Dakota. She passed away suddenly on February 29 th , 2024 of natural causes.
A time of gathering will be held on Friday, March 8, 2024, starting at 10 am, with brief closing words at 1 pm, at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation, 4565 Pleasant Street SE, Prior Lake, MN, followed by a luncheon. In lieu of flowers, donations to the family for a future memorial for Bev are appreciated.
Bev was the third of seven children and the oldest of the four girls. She spent her younger years in Watertown, SD until 1965, when her family moved to South Minneapolis, MN. She graduated from Minneapolis South High School. While living in an apartment with friends, she met (1972) and married (1979) the good looking guy in the apartment building next door, Greg Herdina. Bev and Greg raised 2 kids together, Shawn and Nikki.
Bev was born to be a mom. She always went above and beyond for her kids. She dressed up as Skeletor, the antagonist of Shawn’s He-Man Costume, she threw themed birthday parties for the kids including an Aladdin birthday where she made a “pin the lamp on Genie game”, and she sewed countless costumes for her kids over the years. She even sewed her daughter’s prom dress due to Nikki not finding anything that fit her “unique” style at the time. She always encouraged and supported the kids in following their passions and never said no to the constant stream of kids coming and going from the house or swimming out back in the pool. When Shawn and Nikki were adults she was the person they would call if they were having a bad day, had exciting news to share, or even just had some juicy gossip to share. She was always there ready to drop everything if they needed her.
Bev was a great mom, but she was an even more amazing Grammy. After retiring from State Farm in 2014 she was able to do daycare for both her grandson, Ben, and her granddaughter, Rosie, when they were born after Nikki went back to work. When the kids transitioned to daycare, she would watch them when they were home sick or when mom and dad needed a date night. As Ben and Rosie got a little older they would have sleepovers at Grammy’s house frequently where they would make popcorn and introduce her to all the different Disney shows. She couldn’t go shopping without finding something she “just had to get” for the grandkids.
Outside of being a mother and grandmother, Bev enjoyed socializing and belong to several groups through church and her kids schools. She enjoyed day trips down the Mississippi River Bluffs to Red Wing, Lake City, and stopping at a vineyard for a good burger, which is where she spent a surprise weekend for her 60 th birthday with her daughter, sisters, and sister-in-law. She got to be Queen for the weekend, complete with her own crown. She enjoyed pheasant hunting in South Dakota with her Dad and brothers. She loved cars and would often comment on vintage cars she seen while driving. Some of her favorites were her 2000 Ford Mustang and her Dad’s 1957 Ford Fairlane 500, which she got to drive in High School.
Bev was an 8 year Breast Cancer survivor. She loved celebrating holidays and always went above and beyond for the kids and grandkids on special occasions. She was selfless and kind and would always say she had her Dad’s Irish stubbornness and her Mom’s German temper. She will be missed by those who knew and loved her.
Bev is preceded in death by her Mom (Rosemarie), Dad (Bernard Sr), Mother in Law (Lavonne), Father in Law (Donald), and Brother in Law (Danny). She is survived by her children, Shawn and Nikki and their father, Greg; son-in-law Ryan; grandchildren, Ben and Rosie; siblings, Bernie (LaDonna), Larry (Maureen), Terry (Shelley), Gayle (Bob), Tracy (Jim), and Lori (Tom) as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
