Beverly Gessinger

Beverly Jean Gessinger, age 82 years of Niles, Michigan died at 7:32 a.m. on Friday, May 13, 2016 at the Hospice House in Roseland, Indiana following an extended illness. The family is grateful to all of their relatives and friends for the kind and caring support offered through this difficult season.

She was born on October 15, 1933 in Buchanan, Michigan to Ward E. and Esther (Thompson) Conrad. She was graduated from Niles High School, and has lived here most of her life. She was employed as a bookkeeper for Harger Accounting in Buchanan for over forty years.

Beverly was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority Preceptor Beta Chi chapter, and of the Red Hat Society, all of Niles. She golfed in the leagues at Plym Park, bowled in the leagues at Timberlanes, and played in the Friday Card Club. She enjoyed traveling with her husband throughout the United States and Europe, and spent many winters in Florida. But her greatest pleasure was her family, and especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

On October 16, 1954 at the First Presbyterian Church in Niles she married Joseph E. Gessinger, Jr. with whom she celebrated the remarkable Fifty-sixth anniversary of their wedding prior to his death on November 5, 2010. They were also preceded in death by a son, Michael Gessinger who died on April 11, 1971, and by her parents, Ward and Esther Conrad.

Surviving family includes her children, Cheri (& Andrew) Legus and Chris (& Gwen) Gessinger, both of Niles; grandchildren, Christopher (& Beth) Gessinger, Michael (& Brande) Gessinger, Nicholas (& Kara) Gessinger, Andrea (& Dustin Hardisty) Arias, and Chad (& Heather Merrill) Legus; great-grandchildren Avarie, Grace, Carson, Brayden, Jackson, Owen, and Maddie Gessinger, Devyn and Joshua Arias, Jase Hardisty, and Kade and Brielle Peak; Bev’s sister, Connie (& David) Knapp of Niles and brother, Richard Conrad of South Bend, Indiana; a sister-in-law, Nancy Fischer of Niles; and several nieces and nephews.

Services for Beverly Gessinger will be at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, May 20, 2016 at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles with the Rev. Fran Lane-Lawrence of First Presbyterian Church officiating. Interment will be private at Mission Hills.

The family will receive relatives and friends on Friday at the funeral home beginning at 11:00 a.m. Contributions in memory of Bev may be made to Hospice House in Roseland, or to the Berrien County Cancer Service or the Cass County Cancer Service.