Elizabeth (Beth) Beene

Olga Elizabeth Schwantes Beene, 89, better known as Beth Beene, was surrounded by family as she passed away peacefully on Monday, November 11, 2019. Beth was born in Douglas, AZ to Henry Carl and Elizabeth Loving Schwantes on December 24. 1929. She graduated from Douglas High School in 1947 and went on to attend business school in El Paso, TX. From there, Beth went to BYU from March 1950 to March 1952 where she was crowned Banyan Queen her freshman year. After college she worked for Senator Alfred Paul, Jr. of Arizona. She then moved to Las Vegas, Nevada working at an attorney’s office then went on to work for the Base Commander at Nellis AFB where she met and married her husband, Jimmy Beene. While they were stationed in many different places, they built their family of five before Jimmy retired in 1976 while stationed at Hill AFB. At that time they lived in Sunset, UT. During their marriage, Beth worked for Amalgamated Sugar in Ogden, UT, Rocky Mountain Contractors in Salt Lake City, and Western Zirconium in Little Mountain, UT. After Jimmy’s passing in 2011, Beth stayed a few more years in Sunset before relocating to live out her years at Garnet Place in Garden City, ID.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry Carl Schwantes and Elizabeth Loving Schwantes, sisters Ora Mae Huish, Elsie Fern Bushman, Luinda Ruth Stricklin and Mildred Bangerter, brothers Budso Schwantes and John “Bud” Schwantes.

She is survived by her five children, Judi Slusser of Arlington, TX, Janet (Neal) Bowes of Roxboro, NC, Jackie (Brent) McBride of Meridian ID, Jim (Cindy) Beene of Syracuse, UT and Jennifer (Jay) Smith of Plano, TX; her 15 grandchildren, Kelsey Slusser, Kerbi Slusser, Lindsay (Robert) Rimmer, Geoffrey Bowes, Taylor Bowes, Erin (Jacob) Darrington, Michael (Brooke)McBride, Andi (Tyler) Hoffman, Chay (Craig) Ohlson, Lachelle (Brett) Felton, Chaundra Beene, Beau Beene, Nathan Smith, Zachary Smith and Samantha Smith as well as ten great grandchildren, Conner Barwick, Jaxon Rimmer, Jane Darrington, Owen Darrington, Ryan Darrington, Kate Darrington, Levi McBride, Oakley Ohlson, Ridge Ohlson and Duke Smith.

The family would like to thank the excellent staff at Garnet Place who made Beth’s final years comfortable and enjoyable as well as Keystone Hospice who gave her excellent care as well.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, November 16, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary, 1867 N. Fairfield Rd., Layton, UT 84041. Friends may visit family Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the mortuary.  Interment, Lindquist’s Memorial Park at Layton, 1867 No. Fairfield Road.