Beverly Jo Machacek
Beverly Jo Machacek, 59, of Polson, unexpectedly passed away on October 1st.
Bev was born as Beverly Jo Green on November 16, 1951 in Cedar Rapids, Nebraska to Walter (Bud) and Betty Green. She moved to Scotland, SD in 1963 where she met her high school sweetheart and future husband, Jim Machacek. Jim and Bev were married on May 25th, 1973 in Scotland, SD. A graduate of SDSU with a Bachelor of Education Degree, Bev became a school teacher at Harrisburg High in Harrisburg, SD. After 25 years at Harrisburg, Bev took her talents to Washington High in Sioux Falls, SD. During her time at Washington, she earned her Masters Degree in Education. Bev retired in 2006 and moved to Polson, MT with Jim to be closer to their daughter, Kelly Jacobson, her husband Dave, and her beloved grandchildren, Braden and Morgan of Lolo, MT. While in Polson, Bev continued her love of working with young people as a Youth Outreach Coordinator for Lake County. Bev spent most of her efforts working on reACT, a program designed to teach youth about the perils of tobacco.
Bev was highly involved within the Mission Bay Community of Polson. She enjoyed cooking, baking, and caring for her plants and flowers. She also enjoyed boating, traveling, and taking the occasional motorcycle ride with her husband. One of her favorite things to do was simply to sit on the deck with Jim and enjoy the beauty of Montana. She loved every second that she was able to spend with her family. Bev considered her parents, husband, daughter, and grandchildren her best friends. She had that special kind of relationship with Betty and Kelly that only a mother and daughter can understand, and, she was blessed to be close enough to her grandchildren to develop a relationship with them that most can only hope for.
Bev’s passion for teaching showed in every aspect of her life, from her teaching years in South Dakota, to her work with local youth programs, and her dedication to helping her grandchildren succeed in life and school. Bev can best be described as the optimistic caretaker, when she was involved, you knew that things would be taken care of and taken care of with a smile. She was at her best, and her happiest, helping others; whether it was spending time with her parents, helping her grandchildren with their piano and homework, or simply preparing a family meal.
Bev was preceded in death by sister, Becky Green. She is survived by her husband Jim of Polson, MT; daughter Kelly Jacobson, her husband Dave, and grandchildren Braden and Morgan of Lolo, MT; parents, Bud and Betty Green of Fremont, NE; brothers Bill, Bob, and Dan; and a number of nieces, nephews, and great nieces & nephews that she loved dearly.
Services to be held at 2pm on Monday, October 10th at First United Methodist Church in Polson, MT. Services also pending in Sioux Falls, SD with a tentative date of October 22nd.
The family suggests memorials to the Beverly Machacek Scholarship Fund, c/o Wells Fargo Bank, 1800 S Russell, Missoula, MT 59801. (Once a teacher, always a teacher!)
Messages of condolence may be sent to the family online at www.groganfuneralhome.com. The staff of Grogan Funeral Home and Crematory, Polson, considers it a privilege to care for Mrs. Machacek’s family.
My Prayers to the entire family. God bless you all. Tahnyia Lynn
Dave and Kelly- May your happy memories help with your pain and sorrow.
Dave, Kelly and family of Bev:
I am so sorry for your loss. My warm loving thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. Remember to celebrate her life as she obviously had a huge impact on so many people and my guess is that she would want you to be joyous of her beautiful time on earth. Warm regards,
Leslie Montgomery, Jackson Wyoming
I am so sorry to hear of the passing of Mrs. Machacek. She was a LOVED lady by me and many other fellow students at HHS. I loved taking her Home Ec Class. She ws a wonderful teacher, she will be missed dearly.
My thoughts and prayers go out to you, may you find comfort in all her wonderful memories that fill your heart!
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of Bev’s family. May all the wonderful memories you have sustain you at this time.
Dave & Family
My heartfelt condolences to you and your family
Jim, Kelly and family,
We were shocked and saddened to hear of Bev’s death. She was a great neighbor and a wonderful person. We know you will miss her very much. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Kelly, Dave, Morgan and Braden
I am so sorry for your loss. It was all too sudden and may God hold your Mother in his arms.
Thoughts and prayers for you all and your Dad too at this very sad time.
LeeAnne and Richard Huffman and family
Jim, Kelly, Dave, Morgan & Braden, we are heartbroken and cannot stop crying. Beverly was one of the brightest spots in our lives and we will miss her more than we can possibly say. Her smile will forever be in our hearts. We love you Bev and will see you again in Heaven someday.
I worked with Bev. I admired her organization and great communication with the kids. Even though she didn’t feel well that last day at work she came in with extra black shirts so we all would have one for the group picture we were going to take. (She knew some of us myself included would forget ) I will always remember her having a smile and a solution. I sent her to the hospital that day but never dreamed she wouldn’t be coming back. My thought and prayers are with you all. Sheri Clark
Kelly, Dave, Braden & Morgan,
Just wanted you to know we are praying for you and thinking about all of you in this very difficult time.
We love you all very much!
Heidi, Bailey, Gabriel and Abby
We are going to miss Beverly’s big smile and her outgoing personality. She was so easy to talk to, like she knew us all my lives. Our prayers are with you and your family. May God give you peace during this hard time.
Brian & Kathy Adams
Dear Jim and family,
Laurie Grotjohn and I were shocked to hear about Bev.
There is really nothing anyone can do or say to ease the pain of losing your best friend so unexpectedly. Just know that there are a lot of people sharing your grief. Beverly was a loving careing person and we were all lucky to have had her in our lives for as long as we did.
God bless you Jim and your family in your time of sorrow, we are all feeling your loss, words cannot express
Deb and Laurie
Jim & Family,
You are in our prayers. We were very sad to read of Bev’s passing. Please let us know for sure if there will be a service in Sioux Falls on the 22nd. God be with you all during this difficult time.
We are so sorry for your loss. Bev was an awesome and inspirational woman and will be greatly missed.
I am saddened by the loss of Bev. I enjoyed visiting with her at Washington High School. She was so warm and friendly. My thoughts and prayers are with you, her family, at this difficult time.
Jim, Kelley and Family,
Bev was one of the most kind and caring people we have ever known. We recently went through a traumatic family health emergency and Bev overwhelmed us with her love, care and support. She helped ease our pain and truly lived the Christian ideal of selfless love. We will all miss her, but are assured that she is at peace with the Creator. Our prayers and blessings to you and your entire family.
My thoughts and prayers go to you and your family Jim. Always enjoyed the visits we had while when Beverly walked by to get the mail. We will all miss her warm personality and smile. God Bless you and your family.
Lee & Jessie.
To Bev’s family,
Please accept my deepest sympathy on the sudden passing of Bev. We were friends in the class of ’70 from Scotland High School.
Bev was a phenomenal girl in high school and apparently grew to adulthood with the same stellar qualities. She deserved the love and respect she received and was a blessing to the world. She will be missed.
Your family is in our prayers.
Dear Machacek Family,
We extend our deepest, heartfelt sympathy to your family. I had the pleasure of working with Bev at Harrisburg. She always spoke of her family with deep love and passion. She was a wonderful teacher devoted to her students. She will be deeply missed by everyone who’s lives she touched. It was a blessing to know her. God be with you during this difficult time and in the days ahead. Thinking of you and praying for you.
Lex and Ron DeWit
My thought and prayers go out to Bev’s family and friends over the loss of a very special woman. God Bless you Bev.
I worked with Bev on a few projects over the years in tobacco prevention, but unfortunately did not have the opportunity to get to know her well. Yet I was always struck by her open welcome, perpetual smile, great joy in getting down to business and enthusiasm for the work she did. I was able to attend the funeral yesterady. It shared Bev’s joy of life and love of her family so well. Thank you for that gift, a reminder and inspiration to live life to it’s fullest and show your love to those around you even during the simplest of moments. I was unable to offer my condolences in person after the services but would like you to know how sorry I am for your loss.
I remember Bev as a young person when I first had the opportunity of baby sitting for her (even though she was capable of baby sitting for the family) when they first moved to Scotland when I was in High School. I had followed Bev’s wonderful educational career and knew that she was making a difference for many. What a difficult and sad time…special thoughts and prayers are with all of Bev’s family.
My father, Morris Gran passed away in January and he always greeted new people that came to our little Scotland Methodist Church…I have a feeling he was probably there greeting and welcoming Beverly saying that he remembered her family and enjoyed Bud and Betty. My mother, Fern Gran, also sends special condolence’s to Bev’s family. Judy Gran Marn
We are so saddened to hear of Beverly’s passing. Jim was her SHS classmate and I was a classmate of her brother Bill. The Green family lived across the street from my grandmother (Helen Sternhagen) and she thought the world of them. Many memories have been coming back to us after hearing of her untimely death and I’m sure you have been doing the same. May these memories give you comfort and peace. Keeping you in thought and prayer. Jim and Jane Rokusek
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your Family.
With Regards, The Santana Family, Yuma Az.
Jim and family,
Our heartfelt condolences. Our thoughts and prayers go out to your whole family. We pray you find comfort at this difficult time. Bev touched so many lives in a very positive way. God bless you all.
Roger and Jean Gemar
Dear Family, I learned of Bev’s passing from her dear friend Kay Anderson (my sister). What a wonderful woman. I felt like I knew her well because of all the wonderful things Kay has said about her through the years. I met her once but because of Kay knew her well.
In this sad time I am sending prayers and positive energy and you move on this road of painful journey,
Jean Fuller (sister Kay Anderson)
Hi Jim, I think you will remember me by Connie Luke or Connie Mathison. I am so sorry to read about the death of Bev. I was totally shocked. I know we move around and become distant, but this was sad to read. I want you to know that you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. I see there is a possible service here in Sioux Falls on the 22nd. I will do everything I can to get to that service and hope to get a chance to visit with you then. God
Bless your family during this emotional time. Connie
Dear Jim and Kelly,
I am so sorry for the loss of the “light of your world.” The things I remember most about Bev was her optimism, her beautiful smile, and her “can-do” attitude. She was always so happy and always seemed to have such a peace about her.
Please know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers. May you feel God’s comfort and his arms surrounding you, May you find peace in knowing she is with her Lord.
Love in Christ,
Diana
Dear Jim and Kelly,
I can’t even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed working with Bev for the last 4 years. While I worked Monday through Thursday, the first 2 days were by far the best because I was sitting next to Bev.
We shared so much, not just the tobacco program, but sharing about our families, our children, parenting, cooking and our personal philosophies about life. I have photocopied what she wrote to me in a journal she gave to me before my husband and I took our son for brain surgery. There were many times that I came into the office and cried about my son’s health situation, and Bev always had words of wisdom and a hug for me. I wanted to share it with you, because it illustrates how thoughtful she was.
My heart goes out to you and yours, and I feel very fortunate that I got to know her as well as I did and for that length of time. And, as far as the teacher in her, what she gave to me was the lesson to be strong, use challenges to build resilency and and to be a “caretaker with a smile on my face.”
So very sorry to learn of Bev’s passing and your great loss. May God grant you peace ond comfort.
Lovingly the Kritenbrinks
I am so sorry for your loss. Please know that you are never alone. You can find much comfort in the Holy Scriptures which assures us at Psalms 34:18 that God is near to those broken at heart and crushed in spirit. Please accept my deepest sympathies.
I had the pleasure of living on 3rd Annex at SDSU in 1970. I was able to see her off and on over the years and that great smile was always with her. She loved her family so much and brought love and laughter to so many people over the years. So sad to say goodbye and so honored to have known her. Love to all, Pat Bortnem
Bev. you will be missed. You touched so many people in so many ways. I will never forget cheering with Bev, she was always UP, a motivator for us all. I am glad to have known Bev, may memories of her live on in all of us.
Growing up together with family camping trips, New Years Eve events, New York/Washington DC trip to countless activities Bev was as close a friend to that “growing up” time of my life that I could have had. Although time slipped away from us, her smile and her spirit will be me with always.
Jim and family, We were saddened to read of Bev”s passing. She will be missed by everyone that knew her. Please let us know when memorial service will be in Sioux Falls. We only knew you and Bev from the deck job, but it was long enough for you two to make a lasting impression on us. You were a special couple. God bless you and the entire family during these hard times.
So sorry for your loss, Jim and Kelly, Braden and Morgan.
I remember Beverly when the family belonged to Wesley United Methodist Church. I am sure she will be greatly missed. sounds like she was an awesome woman.
Our deepest sympathy goes out to you Jim, Kelly and Family. Bev was a wonderful person, and will be missed alot by friends and family. Ourhearts go out to all of you. God Bless you all. Carol
Jim, Kelly, Dave, Braden and Morgan–
We are so sorry for your loss. We will keep you in our prayers always! Bev was such a nice lady, always very warm and friendly. She will be greatly missed. God bless you all. Shelly and Lee
Jim, Kelly and family,
I am still in such a state of disbelief, as I imagine all of you probably are. This was too sudden and too soon.
I have only the very best of memories of Bev as a very dear friend and fellow educator. She was exceptionally good at being an empathetic listener and knew just what to say and how to say it with the most encouraging and enlightening words. I appreciated so much the many times that she extended hospitality to me at your home, Jim, and the visits we had together.
Bev was a wonderful and loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, teacher and friend to many. Keep her memories close to your hearts. She touched many lives in the most positive ways, quite a legacy.
May you feel the many warm thoughts and especially warm prayers that surround you now and may the Lord be your comfort and strength.
Machacek Family,
My thoughts and prayers go out to each of you. I am a graduate of Harrisburg from the class of 1980. I attended the services today at the school and came home and knew I needed to tell you as so many others did what a great wife, mom, grandma, friend and teacher Bev was. She was highly respected by all ages of life. I sat back and listened on all of the tributes to Bev and can only agree she made the stars shine a little brighter by her smile and her helping hands to all she encountered. I have to tell you we have had several class reunions over the years and many memories of teachers and classes have surfaced at these class reunions. Bev’s name was always brought up and stories were told of us learning to cook/clean/sew and how she was always respected. I remember in class even though it was 30 + years ago she always loved her family.
I know these times are not easy as I too have lost my husband from Cancer. It is never easy no matter when or how you loose a loved one. I can tell you she may not be with you in sight but she will always be with you in spirit. Follow the legacy she has left for you and you will all make the world a better place too. Treasure the great memories you have as a family as they can never be taken from you and someday you will all reunite again.
Thanks for sharing her tribute with us back at Harrisburg High School. Bev is truly a shining star out there that will never be forgotten.
Lori Hunhoff
Class of 1980
Harriburg High School
I was so sorry to hear about Bev. My sincerest sympathy to you all. I know how hard it is when your loved one is called home. I miss my husband, Donnie, so much every day, but I rely on the good Lord up above to help me get through each day. We don’t know what God’s plan is, but we have to trust in Him & He’ll get us through. May God Bless you with peace and joy and always rememeber, we will see our loved ones again one day. Love, Barb Cisar
Jim and Kelly
My thoughts and prayers are with you in your time of sorrow.