Beulah E (Boylan) Day

Beulah E. Day

Beulah E. Day, 92, died Monday (March 5, 2007) at Kidron Bethel Retirement Service, North Newton. She was born July 5, 1914, in Strong City to James Boylan and Lottie Beach. She moved to Newton in August 1914. Her education began at the second McKinley School on East First. She attended Roosevelt for the second through fifth grade and back to McKinley for the sixth grade. She attended junior high at Lincoln School and then four years at the high school. During her younger years, she worked at the candy shop on the corner of Broadway and Main and then had a part-time job answering the phone for the taxi service. In her senior year, she worked in the office of Duff and Son Furniture and Undertaking Parlor.

In 1942, she enlisted in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. After her basic training was over at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, she went into the regular Army. She finished basic training and was sent to Army Administration School at Arkansas State Teachers College in Conway, Ark. After graduation, she was stationed at Marianne, Fla., a flight training base for 90-day wonders. As a veteran, she was recruited on two occasions to the base Budget and Fiscal Office for classified jobs for the Strategic Air Command.

She married James M. Day on July 7, 1943, in Marianne, Fla. He died July 22, 1987.

In 1959, she took a records clerk job mailing division of National Geographic Magazine and retired from there in 1978 as an assistant section chief. When zip codes came into being, she helped code the address. They zip coded more than 5 million pieces of mail. She retired from there on Dec. 31, 1978.

In 1979, she moved back to Newton. She became involved with Harvey County Historical Society as a volunteer and later served on the board of the Warkentin House. She later ran for the city commission and was elected for two terms, one as mayor. While serving as mayor, she helped break ground for Newton Medical Center and the Newton Factory Outlet Stores. She was a member of First Christian Church.

She spent more than 20 years helping people with their federal and state income taxes and the state Homestead Act forms. She compiled and donated histories of the Newton Police Department, Newton Fire and EMS Departments and The Newton Kansan. In 2004, she was presented the "Supporter of the Year" award from the Heart to Heart Harvey County Child Advocacy Center Task Force.

She also researched the history of a number of old houses. When she did the research, she would find out who built the home, if they were deceased, where they were buried then try to locate the grave. She wrote the first historic tour script for the first Chisholm Trail Festival in the 1980s. She organized the Historical Walks at Greenwood Cemetery.

Serving on many community boards, she was a life member of The Women in Service, Washington D.C., National Association of Federal Employees, American Legion Post No. 112, Friends of Kansas Libraries, Harvey County Historical Society and Friends of the Newton Library.

Survivors include a son, James M. Day of Maryland; a brother, Kyrle R. Boylan of Overland Park; two sisters-in-law; three nieces; one nephew; four grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

She also was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, James H. Boylan Jr.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today with family greeting friends from 6 to 7:30 at Broadway Colonial Funeral Home in Newton.

Service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Broadway Colonial Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Gary Bell and Chaplain Amanda Rempel officiating. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery in Newton.

Memorial contributions may be made to Heart to Heart (Advocacy for Children) and Harvey County Big Brothers and Big Sisters in care of the funeral home.