Beverly Dawn Shipley

Beverly Dawn Shipley, 62, of State Center, passed away on Thursday, September 10, 2026 at the Iowa River Hospice Home in Marshalltown.

Memorial services for Bev will be held on Wednesday, September 16th, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. at the Cornerstone Church in Ames. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 15th from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. also at the church. Memorials may be directed to the family for designation at a later time. For more information or to send a condolence, please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234. Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Bev and her family.

Beverly Dawn Valentine was born on January 12, 1964 in Sheldon, Iowa. She was the daughter of Warren Dale and Betty (DeHaan) Valentine. Bev attended Sioux Center High School and then went on to Central College and lastly Iowa State University to obtain her Master’s Degree. On July 25th, 1987, Bev was united in marriage to David Shipley in Carmel, Iowa. Bev taught English and was a middle school guidance counselor for thirty years.

After teaching, Bev took a position as the executive director at Wings of Refuge, which is a Christ-centered nonprofit organization based in Ames, which provides long-term safe housing, healing, and restoration for adult female survivors of domestic sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. She worked there for five years, and it was the greatest calling and most life changing career of her life. It is where Bev found her “sisters” that God had always planned for her. Bev was a member of P.E.O. and a couple informal card clubs. She enjoyed spending time with her family, neighbors and friends along with boating, biking, camping, reading and playing cards.

Bev is survived by her husband of thirty-nine years, David; children: Tyler (Kara) Shipley of Carroll, Iowa, Jake (Melissa) Shipley of Urbandale, Iowa and McKenzie (Clayton) Harreld of Huxley, Iowa; grandchildren: Calvin Blake Harreld, Kinley Grace Harreld, Elsie Mae Shipley, Sadie Belle Shipley and Wes David Shipley. She is also survived by her mother: Betty Valentine of Sioux Center, Iowa, siblings: Wally (Linda) Valentine of Sioux Center, Iowa, Arlene (Ed) Griffioen of Okoboji, Iowa and Glenda Van Meeteran of Hull, Iowa; mother-in-law: Darlene (Shipley) Cory, brothers-in-law: Dennis (Kendra) Shipley of Marshalltown, Darin Shipley of Marshalltown and Doug (Jennie) Shipley of Ankeny, Iowa and her sister-in-law: Dixie (Tom) Staecker of Carlisle, Iowa.

Bev is preceded in death by her father: Warren Valentine; infant granddaughter: Blakely Harreld; brother-in-law: Ron Van Meeteran and father-in-law: Dean Shipley.