Beulah Conzelman

Beulah Odesa Conzelman, died peacefully at home, with her family at her side, October 7, 2026 at the age of 94.

She was born Trenton, Nebraska where she lived with her parents and sister on the family farm. After graduation from high school , she married her high school sweetheart, Earl Kenneth (Ken) Conzelman. Ken joined the Navy and they moved to San Diego, California. He served on an aircraft carrier during the Korean War while Beulah worked for the phone company. After his discharge from the Navy, they returned briefly to Trenton, then moved to Colorado Springs where they raised their children, Linda and Ricky.

As a working mother, Beulah held a variety of jobs. She took in ironing when the children were young. Once they were in school, she worked part time at the Chidlaw Building cafeteria; a custom drapery company; and as a manicurist in a local salon. When the children were older, she started full time work doing circuit board assembly with Ampax and later, Litton Industries. She was active in the PTA and the Rebecca Lodge and was an avid Square Dancer. Beulah enjoyed quilting and sewing, making many of her own Square Dance dresses. She retired at 55 from the detailed work on circuit boards as arthritis had started affecting her ability to work with her hands. In her retirement, Beulah enjoyed Square Dancing, travel, gardening, sewing, crafting, and time with friends.

Later in life, Beulah moved to Washington to be nearer to her children. She enjoyed spending time with family, going out to lunch with the ladies in her Birthday Club, and outings and crafting with her daughter. When the time came that she wasn’t able to live alone any longer, she moved in to a small apartment on Ricky’s property where he, Kathy and Linda cared for her in her last years.

She loved watching the birds out the window and outside on the deck in warmer weather. She also liked to go for a walk in her wheelchair for some fresh air, as long as she didn’t get cold. She hated being cold! Afternoon soap operas and listening to CDs of her favorite singers: Daniel O’Donnell, Frank Sinatra, and Regis Philbin were daily pleasures. After dinner dominoes became a favorite pastime, and since the regular rules of play weren’t enforced, it was affectioned dubbed “Mominoes” by her family.

Beulah was preceded in death by her parents, LaVern and Grace Pennell; former husband, Earl Kenneth Conzelman; and sister Alvena (Gerald) Paxton. She is survived by her children, Linda Bredeson, Ricky Conzelman (Kathy), granddaughter Danielle Saltarelli (Greg); and nephews Dennis Paxton (Jody), and Lenard Paxton.

Beulah will be remembered for her love of family, her creative adaptations and problem solving to make her daily life easier, her sense of humor, and her many layers of clothing to stay warm—especially her down vest, wool socks, electric blankets and microwave rice packs. Her family will miss her dearly, but rejoices in knowing she is free of the pain and discomfort she experienced in this life and is now reunited with family and friends who where there to greet her with open arms of love.