Beulah (Witt) Davis

Beulah Witt Davis, 92 years old, died Wednesday evening, October 24, 2018 at Willowbrook Memory Center, Savoy, Illinois.

She was born November 18, 1925, Liberty, Kentucky.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Lee Davis, by her parents Ulysses G. “Babe” Witt and Rachel Ellen MacDonald Witt and by her brother Earl Witt and sister Audrey Witt.

She married Carl Lee Davis December 27, 1946 in Jamestown, Kentucky. They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on December 27, 2016.

Beulah received an Associate Degree in education from Lindsey Wilson College, Columbia, KY. After returning to school in the early 70’s Beulah completed her BA and MA degrees in Education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Beulah began her teaching career in a one room school house in Casey County, Kentucky, where she taught students from first through 8th grade and was responsible for keeping the school heated with firewood or coal and gathered water from nearby spring for her students. After relocating to Champaign, she was a part time teacher while raising her five children.

Mrs. Davis began teaching full time again in 1971 and was a beloved teacher at Garden Hills Elementary School in the Unit 4 School system until she retired in 1991. Beulah was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma Xi Honor Society for the teaching profession and enjoyed lunches with the local chapter of this organization well after her retirement.

Beulah and her husband were founding members of the Garden Hills Baptist Church, a mission church of Temple Baptist Church, and she was involved deeply in many activities and outreach of the church.

She enjoyed traveling to Germany, England, France, Alaska, Hawaii, Florida and Kentucky with family. She treasured working in her flower gardens. She loved cooking for her family and was quite skilled at sewing and quilting. Nothing made her happier than having her five children, twelve grandchildren, twenty-one great grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren visit.

She is survived by her children Patricia E. Askew, (Larry R. Askew)  of Champaign, Il; Paula A. Edwards (Rick Scott Edwards) of Boise, ID;  Alice D. Parvin of Fredericksburg, VA; Roger G. Davis (Lisa N Davis) of Advance, NC and beloved special family member, Linda Weatherford Davis of Centre, Al.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Lee Davis, son, Philip C. Davis of Centre, AL. and grandson Richard S. Edwards of Arcola, Il. 

Surviving grandchildren include Jennifer Bomian of Centre, Al.; Jeffrey Scott Edwards of Jamestown, NC;  Wendy Weir of Hickory, NC; Amy Edmonds of Scottsdale, AZ; Patrick Scott Edwards of Champaign, Il; Lindsey Bryant of Piedmont, Al;  Alison Askew Dial of Mahomet, Il; Maxwell J. Parvin of Lexington, SC; Elizabeth A. Davis of Wilmington, NC; Katherine M. Davis of Chapel Hill, NC; Jonathon W. Davis of Raleigh, NC. She is also survived by twenty-one great grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren.

Services will be held at 10:30AM on Saturday, November 3, 2018 at McKinney-Brown Funeral Home. The family will receive guests one hour before the service. Graveside services and burial to follow at Green River Valley Separate Baptist Church, Rheber, KY.

Beulah was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, great-great grandmother, daughter, sister, sister-in-law, aunt and friend. The family is deeply grateful to the staff of Willowbrook Memory Center of Savoy, IL; the staff of Harbor Light Hospice and Synergy Home Care for the loving care their Mother received from them in her last days.

Memorial gifts may be made to the local chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Xi in Champaign, IL.  Checks should be made payable to Xi Chapter DKG with memo indicating “Donation for Teacher Recruitment Grants” and sent to Cheryl Milewski, Treasurer, Delta Kappa Gamma Xi, 2209 Brett Drive, Champaign, IL. 61821

 Funeral arrangements are being handled by McKinney-Brown Funeral Home in Liberty KY. Online condolences can be shared with her family at www.mckinneybrown.com.