Juanita Jo Birkle

Juanita Jo Birkle departed this life on November 23, 2023, at the home of her daughter and son-in-law in Wichita, KS after a year’s battle with dementia and more recently cancer.

Juanita was born on April 8, 1936, in Peabody, Kansas to Lloyd and Mildred (Ubben) Suffield.  She was the second of seven children.  She married James Beeson at a young age, and they had two children, a daughter, Juanita, who was stillborn and a son, John in 1953.  Juanita had another daughter, Janice, who was born in 1955.  She, John and Janice moved to Stockton, California in 1956.  It was here that she married “a very handsome Navy man”, Mitchell Brittain.  Together they had two daughters, Vivia and Cathy.  They resided in Camarillo, California until 1965 when they moved back to her home state and raised their family near Bentley, Kansas.  In 1985, Juanita married Vernon Birkle in Marion, Kansas.  They resided in Newton, Kansas while Vern worked for Santa Fe Railroad.  After Vern’s retirement they moved to Marion Reservoir where she lived until after his death in 2001.  Juanita moved back to Newton and resided there until 2022. 

Juanita loved her garden and planted one every year.  She also loved her iris, roses and daisies.  When living in Bentley, she had a large strawberry patch and sold these to many around the area.  Juanita also loved to sew and craft all kinds of items.  She saved anything that could be recycled into one of her crafts.

Juanita was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Vern; two sisters, Wilma Hypsha and Sharolyn Hett; and two brothers, David and Gerald Suffield.  She is survived by her brother, Butch Suffield; a sister, Linda Olsen and husband Harold; sisters-in-law, Bonnie and Tammy Suffield and many nieces and nephews. Juanita also leaves her children: John and Norma Beeson, Janice and Scott Griffith, Vivia and Bob Smith and Cathy Brittain.  18 Grandchildren: Matthew, Laura, Janie and Johnnie Beeson, Valerie and Joey Dean, Susie and Richie Hoffman, Joe and Shavon Morgan, Katie and Dylan Brown, Heath Beeman, Crysti and Jason Smith-Hague, James Lackey, Taryn and Ric Freund.  17 Great Grandchildren: Dakota and Lizzie Hoffman, Emma and Austin Slaughter; Piper, Jovi and J.D. Morgan, Gordy, Weston and Nathan Brown, Kenzie and Jacob Schonhoff; Gaven Beeman, Cody Moore, Cole Harris and Carter Hague, Andreas Lackey, Tristan, Cooper, Mikey and Caleah Freund.  GG Grandchildren: Cooper and Rhett Hoffman and Maverick Slaughter. 

Viewing will be December 5^th, 2023, at Petersen Funeral Home, 215 N. Main in Newton, Kansas, from 5-9. The family will be in attendance from 6-8 p.m.  Funeral services are at 2:00 P.M. on Dec 6^th at Petersen’s with internment at Greenwood Cemetery in Newton.