Janice Bagwell Berg Beach-February 24, 2012


Janice Bagwell Berg Beach, 89, died in Studio City, California on February 24, 2012, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 31, 2012, at the United Methodist Church in Claude with Dr. Roy Rutherford and Pastor Dan Carter officiating. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers at Claude.
Janice was the last surviving child of the nine children of Robert Luke and Bertie Weeks Bagwell of Claude. Janice was born on March 29, 1922, in Claude. She attended Claude Elementary School and Claude High School. She attended Texas State College for Women in Denton and graduated from Texas Tech in 1942, with a degree in Business Administration. In 1970, she received a Master’s Degree in Education from West Texas State University in Canyon.
Janice met her first husband, H. L. Berg, in 1942, while she was a student at Texas Tech and he was in flight training at Lubbock Army Flying School (later renamed Reese AFB). They married in 1943, in Long Beach, California. H. L. made a career of the United States Air Force and attained the rank of Lt. Colonel. They were stationed in Japan, Guam, Washington, D.C., California, Alabama, and Kansas, among other places. As a young wife and mother, Janice coped with her husband’s absence and deployment to China in WWII, duty in the Berlin Air Lift, and a 2 ½ year deployment to the Korean Conflict. Later in H. L.’s career, she performed the duties of a senior officer’s wife while H. L. was the commander of the 54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (typhoon chasers) on Guam and when he was a RB-47 pilot and deputy wing commander of the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Forbes AFB in Kansas during the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. In addition, Janice taught third grade on Guam and later taught typing to the airmen at Forbes AFB. Janice and H. L. had three children: a daughter Lynette, and sons Howard and Richard. When H. L. died in 1963, Janice returned home to Claude with their children. She served as Deputy County Clerk of Armstrong County for several years and later taught fourth grade at Claude Elementary School.
In 1972, Janice married Paul A. Beach, who had been a pilot with H. L. in China in WWII and was his lifelong friend. Janice and Paul lived in Las Vegas and later lived in Phoenix and enjoyed a summer home in Flagstaff. Paul was a pilot with Republic Airlines until his retirement in 1982. During retirement, they enjoyed playing tennis, square dancing, and traveling. Paul dedicated the last twelve years of his life to caring for Janice during her struggle with Alzheimer’s. He preceded her in death in 2011, after thirty-nine years of marriage.
Janice is survived by her three children and Paul’s children and their families: Lynette Berg Robe of Studio City, California and husband Mike; Howard L. Berg MD of Amarillo and wife Peggy; Richard P. Berg of Burnsville, Minnesota and wife Judy; Karen Beach Larsen of Mesa, Arizona and husband, Steve; daughter-in-law, Kathy Beach of Post; eleven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011 (http://www.alz.org/join_the_cause_donate.asp); to Claude ISD designated for use by the Elementary

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