Beatrice Alm

With heavy hearts we would like to inform all of our friends and family of the passing of our Mother, Beatrice Alm.

She accepted her invitation to Heaven on February 17, 2012. She was 89. The last few weeks of her life were spent at Fairview Transitional Health Center; however her home was at The Bridge Assisted Living. She lived there for six wonderful years.

Mom was born April 20th, 1922 in Ada, Oklahoma, the third daughter born to share croppers, Spencer & Sarah Derryberry. She was one of seven children.

As a young woman, she relocated to Fresno, California. While working as a grocery clerk at the Monmouth Store, she met Franklin Alm, whom she married on June 15th, 1948. He preceded her in death in August 1998. They stayed in Fresno for a short time, then chose the Rogue Valley to raise their family, and settled in Grants Pass in October 1951. They owned and operated a dairy farm in Jerome Prairie. When asked her occupation, she was proud to respond, “I am a farmer’s wife.” On any given day you could find her in the kitchen canning and preserving enough food from their large garden to last the entire winter. She was a marvelous cook. She worked very hard to insure her family had the very best of everything. When times were hard she could make a pound of hamburger feed seven and make round steak taste like filet mignon. Upon retirement she worked for Victory Linen, as well as working as a personal nanny for several families.

Mom was also a very talented seamstress, making all her own clothes as well as clothes for others. She made quilts for every grandchild and presented them upon graduation from high school. Though crippled with rheumatoid arthritis she continued to sew until only a few months ago.

Our mother was a beautiful person, inside and out. She touched so many lives with her positive spirit and precious sweet smile that always shown brightly on her face. Everything she ever did or anything she ever said came directly from her heart.

Our mother is survived by three sons and two daughters; Jerry Holland and wife Judy, John Holland and wife Lynn all of Grants Pass, Franklin Alm Jr and wife Sharon of Stonewell, Oklahoma, Linda Leonard and husband Ralph of Portland, and Lillie Sanders of Grants Pass; 16 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; 3 great-great-grandchildren; and a sister, Shirley Davis of Selma, California.

No services are planned. She has been laid to rest at Eagle Point National Cemetery.

God needed an angel, so he sent for you, a more perfect one could not be found
He set his sights on your beautiful soul, and lifted you to hallowed ground.
We will shed our tears, our hearts will be heavy, and we will miss you like no other.
God gave us you, so lucky we’ve been, because God gave us you to call Mother.