Beasley, Rebekah W.

Rebekah W. Beasley, 89, of Cedar Rapids, died Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011, in St. Luke's Hospital. Services: 2 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Church-Church of the Brethren. Entombment will be private. Visitation will be Thursday at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home from 4 to 7 p.m. and after 1 p.m. Friday at the church.

Survivors include her husband of 65 years, Thomas Beam Beasley; a daughter, Rebekah Ann (Maged) Ghazy of Raleigh, N.C.; a son, John T. (Cindy) Beasley of Cedar Rapids; her siblings, Daphany Watkins, Eugene Watkins and Joseph Watkins, all of Raleigh, N.C., and Mae McGoughan of Pinehurst, N.C.; two grandchildren, John Alexander Wolff and Yasmeen Ghazy, both of Raleigh, N.C.; and a great-grandchild, Ian Thomas Wolff of Raleigh, N.C.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and a daughter, Mary Elizabeth Beasley.

Rebekah was born March 20, 1922, in Roseville, N.C., the daughter of Joseph and Luna (Perry) Watkins. She married Thomas Beam Beasley on March 14, 1946, in Raleigh, N.C. Rebekah attended school in Zebulon, N.C. She then graduated from nurses training and worked for Wake County Hospital in Raleigh. The family moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1951. She worked for Killian's department store as a bridal buyer.

She was a member of ABWA, Toast Mistress, Red Hat Society, RSVP and Theatre of Cedar Rapids. Rebekah was a member of First Baptist Church-Church of the Brethren, where they have enjoyed the fellowship for many years.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to Cottage Grove Place, St. Luke's Hospice, the nurses of St. Luke's Hospital, Father David O'Connor and the Rev. Tammy Buseman for all the loving care they showed to Rebekah.

Please leave a message for the family on the Web page  under obituaries.

Memorials may be made to St. Luke's Hospice.

Published Oct. 6, 2011, in The Gazette