Bev was born in New Prague, Minnesota, on March 30, 1932, to James and Adeline (Bilek) Sindelar. She graduated from New Prague High School in 1948, worked as a typist for the International Milling Company, then moved to Faribault, Minnesota, in 1949 where she was employed as personal secretary to the credit manager at Northern States Power Company. She married Francis “Fritz” Kalina in August of 1950. They had six children: David (born and died in 1951), Mark, Katie (deceased in 2009), Jim, Jeff (deceased in 2006), and John. Bev was also employed by the Rice County Courthouse then assistant credit manager at Sears and retired as a service rep for Northwestern Bell Telephone Company. Her husband passed away in 1972. She
married Dr. Robert Pomije in 1974 and moved to Illinois, where her husband was the superintendent of La Salle-Peru Township High School. Bev was a eucharistic minister for many years and a member of St. Anne’s Sodality and the Ladies of Charity all at St. Patrick’s Church in La Salle. She served as Ladies Chairman of Deer Park Country Club in 1986. She was also employed in the dental office of Dr. Kenneth Lecocq. Her marriage to Robert increased her family by many stepchildren, who quickly became her children: Deb (Mike) Forkins, Sharon Olson, Arlene Pomije (deceased in 2011), Nannette (Jim) Greenfield, Bob Pomije, Jr. (deceased in 2001), Richard (Cheryl) Pomije, Mary Pomije, Tom (Jane) Pomije, and Susan (Clayton) Bosquez. Bev is also survived by 24 grandchildren, five great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and her brother-in-law Lee Mamer.
She was preceded in death by her first husband Fritz, by the aforementioned children, her brother James in 2003, her sister Arlene Mamer in 2012, and her second husband Dr. Robert Pomije in 2016.