Viola May Beals

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die: a time to plant and a time of pluck up that which is planted.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Viola May Beals was born September 27, 1927, in Delhi, Louisiana to the late Earnest May and Janie Whitney May. She was the second born of ten children and was second longest living of them all. She had three sisters and six brothers. Viola was educated through the Richland Parish Training School located in the St. John Community of Delhi. She accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior at an early age in her life. She was baptized south of Delhi in a water stream that flows down from the Bayou Macon. She united with her family church, New Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church located in Delhi and has remained a lifelong member. She was ordained to the Mother’s Board of the church where she served her final course.

Viola, a December bride was united in holy matrimony to Shep Beals of Mangham, Louisiana on Christmas day, December 25, 1946. To this union were born fourteen children. She spent her life as a homemaker and dedicated family woman. After Shep died in the late 1960’s, she found herself faced with the challenge of becoming a widow with twelve of her fourteen children in their early childhood years.

Viola was a Christian woman. She remained a widow and devoted most of her time to raising her children in the Christian faith. She loved the Lord. Her faith was unwavering. Her advice to all her children throughout any problem they may have had was to let the Lord take care of it. She strived to live her life as a virtuous woman (Proverbs 31:10-31). She loved her grandchildren. They warmed her heart best as they looked upon her while listening to the special advice that she had for each of them.

She appeared tough, strong, and commanding among her children, but she also had a gentle and lighter side to her character. She loved basketball, sweet treats, sight- seeing, shopping, restaurants, flowers, homemaking, and gardening. She also loved telling stories of her childhood days and how she grew up. She will be greatly missed.

Viola is preceded in death by her husband Shep Beals, one daughter Barbara Jean Beals-Cornist, one son Melvin Beals, her three sisters Gracie May, Luretha May, and Beulah May- Polly: five brothers Earnest May Jr., Timothy May, Lovelle May, Edward May, and Roosevelt May.

She leaves to mourn eight daughters: Minnie L. Dykes, Delores Beals, Florenda Beals, Marilyn (Roy) Theus, Shirley L. Beals, Carolyn (Lee Otis) Carter all of Delhi, Louisiana; Kathy M. Beals of Washington, D.C. and Martha A. Smith of Las Vegas, Nevada; four sons: James O. Beals of Delhi, Louisiana, Wilford E. Beals of Mission, Kansas, Freeman (Erma) Beals and John (Vivian) Beals of Las Vegas, Nevada; one brother Lee Otis (Mary) May of Los Angeles, California, a multitude of grands, great-grands, and great-great grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.

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