Beulah Mae (Stahly) Hamilton

Beulah Mae (Stahly) Hamilton

Beulah Mae (Stahly) Hamilton passed away Sunday (June 29, 2008) at the age of 97 at her rural Newton residence. After 71 years of marriage, she could wait only 16 days after the death of her husband, John, to go be with him.

Beulah was born Aug. 23, 1910, in McLean County, Ill., to Alfred and Amanda Stahly. Beulah was the fifth of eight children in the family. Her sisters and brothers were Esther Stahly, Naomi Zook, Alvin Stahly, Elmer Stahly, John Stahly, Vernal Stahly and Evelyn Ingle. All preceded her in death.

On Dec. 24, 1936, Beulah married John Hamilton in Sylvia.

Beulah attended a one-room country school in Illinois for eight years. The family moved to Kansas when she was a sophomore, and she graduated from Newton High School in 1928.

She graduated from God's Bible School in Cincinnati, Ohio, a few years later, then attended school in New York City for one year. She returned to Newton and graduated from Bethel Hospital School of Nursing, receiving her R.N. degree in 1936.

Beulah and John enjoyed traveling, and they visited missionaries in India, Mexico and on the West Coast of the United States. They also traveled to Hawaii and many areas of the southern United States.

Beulah was a farmer's wife all her married life, and she kept quite busy keeping the household running. Beulah really enjoyed the new home her husband, John, built for the family in 1953. She and John lived together in that same house until their deaths 55 years later.

Beulah is survived by her children, Jim Hamilton and wife, Marge, of rural Newton, Judy Everett and husband, Gary, of Sterling, Colo., and Ken Hamilton and wife, Janice, of rural Newton; eight grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at First Church of the Nazarene in Newton, with the Rev. Charles West of the church and nephew, the Rev. Gordon Ingle of Crescent, Okla., officiating.

A private family burial will be at Eastlawn Cemetery in Zimmerdale.

Memorial contributions may be made to World Gospel Missions in care of Petersen Funeral Home in Newton, which is in charge of the arrangements.