Beulah May Lewis

Beulah May Lewis, 82, Connersville, formerly of Cloverdale, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011 at the Lincoln Manor Rehabilitation Center in Connersville, where she had resided since 2008, due to the complications of Alzheimer's Disease.

Beulah was born on May 4, 1928 in Indianapolis and was the daughter of the late Perry O'Dell and Nellie Grace Hunsicker Sendmeyer. The family resided in Cloverdale, where Beulah graduated as valedictorian of the class of 1946.

In 1947, she was married in Cloverdale to Donald Lewis, with whom she had four daughters, three of whom survive; Sandra McGraw, Diana Meinecke and Anna Hagle.

Beulah had long and successful careers in a variety of occupations as a school secretary, realtor (both in Indiana and Florida), secretary for the Indiana State Highway Department, school bus driver, warehouse data input secretary and substitute teacher. She resided in Florida for 30 years prior to residing in Connersville. However, her greatest career was in being a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

She instilled in her children the value of an education and of working hard. Her greatest satisfaction was that her daughters all became teachers. She enjoyed visiting her grandson Matt McGraw on the farm in Connersville. His son Jordan was a wonderful comfort to her in her final years. Her grandchildren, Chad and Brianna Hagle provided endless joy for her while she lived in Orlando, Fla., near her daughters Anna and Diana. Chad's sons, Brayden and Camden, added to her life as she spent time traveling with all of Anna's immediate family. She visited many beautiful places in that context.

Beulah is survived by three daughters and their families Sandra McGraw and spouse Gary, their son, Matt and his wife Stephanie and their son Jordan, all of Connersville; Diana Meinecke and spouse John of Canton, N.C.; Anna Hagle of New Smyrna Beach, Fla., her son Chad and his wife Tiffany, and their sons Brayden and Camden, all of Laguna Niguel, Calif. and Anna's daughter, Brianna Hagle of Austin, Texas. She is also survived by numerous, nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Whitaker Funeral Home, Cloverdale. Visitation will be Wednesday from 11 a.m. until service time at the funeral home.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her daughter Donetta Lucille Lewis, her sisters Irma Crawley and Veneta Meyers and her brothers Hershel, Virgil, Russell and Roy Sendmeyer. She had been married briefly to James Coffman of Greencastle, who is also deceased.

Mrs. Lewis was greatly loved and admired by family and friends.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, Central Indiana Chapter, 9135 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46260.

Condolences maybe sent to the family at cds@whitakerfuneralhome.net