Beverly Louise Leaf

Beverly Leaf, 82, of Benson, Minnesota, died on Sunday, morning, March 27, 2022, at the Quiet Oaks Hospice House in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Visitation will be held from 10:00 am to 11:00 am Saturday, April 2, at the First Evangelical Free Church in Benson, followed by the funeral service at 11:00 am. Burial will be in the Swift Falls Cemetery. Zniewski Funeral Home is assisting the family with the arrangements.

Beverly Louise (Dawson) Leaf was born on January 6, 1940, at the Montevideo Chippewa County Hospital the second daughter to Elkin and Irene (Smith) Dawson, followed by four younger brothers. Her first 10 years were spent living on a farm near her paternal and maternal grandparents in Grace Township, Chippewa County. There she started country school at age 5 in District #88 in Chippewa County. When she turned ten years old, the family bought a farm on the Big Bend/Tungsburg Township line in the Chippewa River Valley. She attended country school District # 19 through the eighth grade and then graduated from Milan High School with the class of 1957. She always enjoyed school and loved learning. She was sad to see that time in her life come to an end.

Her first job was at Northwestern State Bank in Appleton, Minnesota. After a year she was called to attend the Lutheran Bible Institute in Minneapolis where she graduated from the two-year course. One of the highlights of her life at that time was the summer in between the two years when she worked with a group of fellow students in Glacier National Park in Montana.

After graduating she married Gerald Carl Rau, a former high school friend, reuniting and resuming their relationship upon his return from the military. They made their home in Minneapolis and to that union three children were born. Dion Dale in 1961, Rochelle Rene in 1962, and Jeremy Kyle in 1976. The marriage separated in 1977 and they were later divorced. In 1980 Bev married Richard Walter Leaf whom she had met through “Single Parent Christian Fellowship” group. Following his retirement they moved to Swift Falls, where they lived until Dick passed away in 2004. In 2006 she sold the Swift Falls property and bought a house in Benson.

Dick and Bev enjoyed life with travel and camping trips, spending the cold weather months in California, Arizona, and Branson, Missouri. Bev continued to enjoy traveling alone with many trips including Hawaii, Europe, and a Mexican Riveria Cruise, until the effects of Malde Debarquement Syndrome made traveling impossible.

Her work career consisted of mostly part time jobs with banks and hospitals, she also served as a church secretary, program assistant with Hennepin County Extension Service (4-H and youth program), and with Minneapolis Public Schools as a classroom aide, health service assistant and clerical work, Following the breakup of her first marriage to prepare for a more permanent career, Bev began taking University of Minnesota Extension Classes. She earned a certificate in human services and an Associate of Arts Degree. After that, realizing that by continuing her education she would complete her education about the time Dick would be retiring. She decided to end the education phase of her life.

Bev had many interests and in addition to travel she enjoyed reading, writing, sewing, sketching, and painting, interior decorating, crafts, camping, time sharing, and road trips. She enjoyed tracing her genealogy and was proud of her heritage which included ancestors that were aboard the Mayflower, early 1700’s immigrants from the United Kingdom, and a great grandmother who was 100 % Dakota. Bev found God as a very young girl and always trusted Him to get her through whatever was that came her way. Since moving to Benson she has been a member of the First Evangelical Free Church.

She was preceded in death by 3 great grandparents: her maternal grandparents Ernest and Ada Smith, paternal grandparents Gilbert and Alta Dawson, Her husband Richard, her parents Elkin and Irene Smith, many aunts and uncles, sister Alta Jean and brother-in-law Gary Reigstad, her brother Gale Dawson and two nephews Derrick Dawson and Greg Johnson, and stepfather Wilford Anderson. She is survived by her children Dion Rau of Cutler Ridge, Florida, Rochelle Rau of Minneapolis, and Jeremy Rau of Benson; brothers Elkin (Judy) Dawson of Paris, Tennessee, Gilbert Dawson of Danvers, Wesley (Pam) Dawson of Champlin, sister-in-law Laurie Dawson of Ramsey; and many nieces, nephews, and great and great great nieces and nephews; and stepsisters Doreen Winneberg and Audrey (Wayne) Carlson.