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The Life of Beulah Shreeves

Beulah Beatrice (McIntyre) Shreeves
The Obituary

Her children arise up and call her blessed;
Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Beulah, who was affectionately called Bea, began her earthly journey on September 26, 1931.  She was the youngest of four children born of the union between Andrew McIntyre (deceased) and Polly Ann Best (deceased) in Goldsboro, North Carolina.

At an early age, Bea came with her mother to live in Philadelphia, where she attended West Philadelphia High School.  While Bea valued education, mother wit was her guide through life.

Bea met and later married the late Herbert Shreeves.  Of that union three children were born; Renee, Herbert Jr. and Karen.  Bea adored her children and began instilling her core values in them from the time they could comprehend her.  A fiercely independent woman, she wanted to ensure that her children would possess the tools for life.  Some of her favorite tenets were:

“God bless the child that has his own”; Do not expect an inheritance, complete your education and acquire your own things in life.

“Don’t make a debt you can’t repay”:  Good credit can take you a long way.

“You have to crawl before you walk”:  You wouldn’t be concerned about starting at the top to achieve goals.

“To give flowers to people while they are alive”: That way you have no regrets.

“You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of someone else”: That is the only way you can truly care for them.

Most importantly…

“When you walk out of this house, you don’t represent yourself, you represent me”.  This meant that you had better be respectful and polite.

Bea applied her concrete approach to everything she did in life.  She worked many years as a seamstress for Lawrence Clothes and Stanley Blacker.  She chose “piece work” as opposed to an hourly wage so she could determine her income by the number of pieces she completed.  Ba’s sewing skills went far beyond piece work.  She was a dressmaker and made special occasion outfits for her children.  Bea even transferred her sewing and measurement skills to carpentry.  She could lay a parquet floor and panel a room like a master carpenter.

Health concerns forced Bea to retire early from formal employment.  She then became the caregiver for her mother and aided in the care of two of her grandchildren, Adam and Jona.  They were direct beneficiaries of her master cooking skills.  Bea could cook and make anything taste delicious.  Many looked forward to her holiday food traditions; souse meat, chitterlings, sweet potato pie and pineapple coconut cake, to name a few.

On December 31, 1997, the occasion of her granddaughter, Jona’s 7th birthday, Bea was moved to join the Christian fellowship of Vine Memorial Baptist Church.  She faithfully attended Sunday services and was a longtime member of Missionary Circle #2.  Bea truly enjoyed working and fellowshipping with her Missionary circle.

Bea was a lover of dogs and always enjoyed the company of a house full of people.  She was fondly known as “Ms. Bea” to the friends of her children and was always available to welcome, advise and feed them.

Bea was welcoming visitors until the Lord called her home on Tuesday, July 26, 2016.

Bea leaves to mourn their loss and cherish her memory; three children, Renee Jenerette (Jackie, deceased), Herbert Shreeves Jr., Hon. Karen Shreeves-Johns (Wayne); four grandchildren, Lakisha, Sheree, Adam and Jona; two great-grandchildren, Aniyah and Savannah; one sister, Margaret Whitaker, two special nieces, Hazel Morrison and Vanice Robbins; an additional host of nieces, nephews, great and great-great nieces and nephews, as well as cousins and friends.  Bea’s sisters, Christine Mann and Dollie Mae McDuffie preceded her in death.

Lovingly submitted:  The Family

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2017.04.25
Obituary

Obituary
Posted by Rachel W