Beatrice I. Neihart

Beatrice Ida Simpson-Neihart was born to George Willard and Lola Mae Jones-Simpson on March 7, 1922 at Miles, Washington and passed away January 14, 2016. She was the oldest of three children. Bea was raised at Lincoln, Washington, which was eventually flooded from the construction of Grand Coulee Dam. After the water started to rise, the family moved to Miles, Washington. Bea graduated with honors from Creston High School in 1940, and Northwestern Business College in Spokane, Washington in 1941, completing a two-year course in one year. She met Charles Neihart while he was working for the Army Corp of Engineers at Fort Spokane and were married March 18, 1942. During their Army years, they were stationed at Pendleton, Merced, Fresno and Sacramento. After leaving the Army, they lived at Forest Grove, Oregon, where Charles attended college on the GI bill, Miles, Washington, and LaGrande, Oregon before returning to Spokane in 1954. In 1960, Bea went to work at Whitworth College as the Acquisition Librarian until 1973. In 1971, Bea and Charles purchased a farm supply store on North Division, which became Neihart’s Wye Farm Supply until Charles’ retirement in 1984. Charles and Bea relocated to the family property at Miles, Washington in 1999, where Bea cultivated an incredible garden. On June 30, 2007, as they were driving to Davenport from Miles, Charles passed away while driving. Bea received the American Red Cross Heroes award for her bravery in driving the car from the passenger’s seat, keeping the car on the road and from oncoming traffic for over a mile. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband and love of her life of 65 years, Charles; her siblings, Lois (Lee) Randall and Gene (Joyce) Simpson; great grandson, Canon Peplinski; and niece Patti Arney. She is survived by her four children, Charlotte (Larry) Carstensen, Gene Neihart, Neil (Michelle) Neihart, and Debbie (Steve) Peplinski; 8 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. We wish to extend our greatest appreciation to Michael, Katrina, and Maria for their loving care of our Mother her last three months. Services for Bea will be held Friday, January 22, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. at the Sunset Chapel at Fairmount Memorial Park, 5200 W. Wellesley Ave., Spokane, WA. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Hospice of Spokane and Shriners Hospitals for Children.