Berdena J. Nelson Beach, Phd

Berdena J. Nelson Beach, PhD, 86, of Cedar Falls, died Wednesday, June 21, 2017, at the Cedar Valley Hospice Home in Waterloo. She was born August 20, 1930 at Sartori Memorial Hospital in Cedar Falls, the daughter of Thorvald and Gladys (Shutt) Nelson. Berdena married Robert L. Beach on June 9, 1951 at First Presbyterian Church in Cedar Falls. She was a graduate of Iowa State Teacher's College High School and earned her B.A. in business from Iowa State Teacher's College (UNI). Berdena earned her M.A. from UNI, and both her M.S.W. and PhD (Counselor Education) from the University of Iowa. She was a trainer at Rath Packing Company in Waterloo and later co-founded Cedar Falls Counseling Associates where she was a therapist from 1981-2010. Berdena volunteered her time to the Iowa Mental Health Counselors Association, Sartori Memorial Hospital, Western Home Communities, Univ. Book & Supply and was past president of the UNI Alumni Association. She was a lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church in Cedar Falls, PEO and 19th Century Club. Berdena supported the UNI Foundation, UNI School of Music, Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center and the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony.

Berdena is survived by her twin daughters, Holly B. (Michael Marshall) Beach of Verona, Wisconsin and Shelly M. (Blair) Wolfram of Dayton, Minnesota; two grandchildren, Jill and Colt Wolfram; her sister, Marlys Nelson (Larry) Moodie-Dodson, of Denver, Colorado, and her former husband, Robert L. Beach, of Cedar Falls.

She was preceded in death by her parents, a granddaughter, Allegra Wolfram, and her brother-in-law, Craig W. Moodie.

Services will be 11:00 a.m. July 12, 2017, at First Presbyterian Church, with burial at Fairview Cemetery, both in Cedar Falls. Visitation will be 4—7:00 p.m. July 11, 2017, at Dahl-Van Hove-Schoof Funeral Home, and one hour before service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Berdena J. Nelson Beach Family Scholarship at the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, the UNI Foundation and School of Music Fund, First Presbyterian Church, or the Western Home Community Foundation. Condolences may be left at www.DahlFuneralHome.com.