Beatrice B. Pennington

Beatrice B. Pennington, 86, of Mason City, died September 23, 2022, while under Hospice care. A celebration of Life will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, October 10, 2022, at St. James Lutheran Church, 1148 Fourth St. S.E., with Rev. Kent Mechler officiating. Visitation will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, October 9, 2022, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N Pennsylvania Ave. Following the celebration of life a private family inurnment will be held in Memorial Park Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the Good Shepherd Nursing Home, 302 2nd St NE or The Choral Music Guild Mason City High School. Make checks payable to “The Choral Music Guild” and mail to: The Choral Music Guild Mason City High School, 1700 Fourth Street S.E., Mason City, IA 50401. 

Beatrice (Bea) B. Pennington (DeBuhr) was born in Charles City, December 14, 1936, the daughter of William H. and Marjorie E. (Mooberry) DeBuhr. She attended and graduated from Rockford High School.

Bea was first married in 1955 to Jon A. Marrs and had three children. During those years she worked at Northwestern Bell, the Park Clinic, Mason City School Systems in the high school cafeteria, as a para in MCHS science department, and also as a Hall Walker in the high school. She went on to work as a secretary in Mason City School Superintendents office.

She married Earl V. Blakey Jr. on November 22, 1974. He was a farmer in Clear Lake, an electrician and maintenance manager for Holiday Inn in Mason City. He died September 28, 1999 from injuries of a car accident. They enjoyed many coastal trips to Florida. Bea was working as a school secretary at Madison Elementary during those years. She enjoyed being active in the meetings of the Mason City School Secretaries group. She was an active member of St. James Lutheran Church singing in the choir and working with Alter Guild. She especially enjoyed arranging flowers there or when anyone needed her help.

While working on her 50th high school class reunion she reconnected with Bruce Pennington a farmer from Rudd, and they were married August 1, 2004. While both were retired, they built a new home together in Mason City and spent time traveling with winters in Mesa, AZ and trips to Florida. They enjoyed cruising to Alaska with both families having a chance to get to know each other. A cruise through the Panama Canal and Hawaii. In later years they moved to Kentucky Ridge assisted living. In June of 2018 Bea moved to Good Shepherd to get assistance with her care for Alzheimer’s. She enjoyed their church services and any craft and flower arranging opportunities she was able to find.

Her family includes her husband Bruce of Mason City; daughter, Julie Monday of Spanish Fort, AL and sons, Scott (Janet) of Apple Valley, MN and Craig (Beth) of Ames; stepchildren, Sharon (Dennis) Springer of Clear Lake, Sheryl Pietsch of Tucson, AZ, Cindy (Mark) Snell of Norwalk, and Julie Pennington of Tampa, FL; grandchildren, Lindsey (Cory) Bender of Spanish Fort, AL, Jason (Anna) Marrs of Ankeny, Ryan (Kelley) Marrs of Denver CO, Emily (Grant) Heineman of Brooklyn WI; step grandchildren, LeShea (Ben) Monson of Clear Lake, Laura (Shane) Starr of Alturas, CA, Nathan (Kathelyn) Snell of Maxwell, Patrick Snell and partner Chelsea Krist of Des Moines; five great grandchildren; and six step great grandchildren; sister, Louise Ott of Rockford, and brothers, Larry (Gayle) deBuhr of Menomonie, WI, Bruce (Brenda) deBuhr of Charles City.

She was preceded in death by her parents; second husband Earl V. Blakey; and granddaughter Leslie Monday.