Martha Ann Newton Beeler, age 82, of Cullman, Alabama, peacefully slipped free of her pain surrounded by her husband, children, grandchildren and friends, on Jan. 18, 2023.
Martha was born on July 15, 1940, in Lebanon Junction, KY, to Joseph Ethel Newton and Martha Rebecca Hayden Newton.
Preceded in death by her brothers: Joseph Robert Newton, John Hayden Newton and Charles William Newton; her son, David Andrew Beeler, and grandson, Cole Hansen Kilgore.
She is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, Dr. Henry Stewart Beeler, Jr.; children: Henry Stewart Beeler, III (Kathy), Moria Shawn Jaquiss (Ian), Rebekah Lili Speakman (Dell); grandchildren: Brian McCarthy Jr. (Laura), Sarah McCarthy, Joseph McCarthy and Lily Jaquiss; great grandchildren: Wyatt McCarthy and Gloria Grace McCarthy.
Martha attended St. Benedict Catholic School in Lebanon Junction, KY from 3rd grade until she graduated high school in 1958. She told her family many times that she fell in love with Henry when she was in the 3rd grade but had to wait years for him to discover her. She attended college at Nazareth College in Louisville, KY and graduated from the St. Joseph Infirmary School of Medical Technology in 1962. After she and Henry were married, she got a job managing the lab at St. Joseph Hospital in Lexington, KY. She was the youngest lab manager at the hospital at the time and the first woman to fill that role.
When Henry graduated from medical school, Martha became an U.S. Army officer’s wife and traveled across the United States and Europe with him and began their growing family. Their first child, Henry Stewart, was born in Lexington, KY then, after graduation, the young family moved to Denver, CO where David was born, then Fort Dix, NJ for two years and then several years in Bad Kreuzenach and Augsburg, Germany where Shawn was born. Rebekah was born stateside in Hartford, KY before the family finally settled in Cullman in 1974. Martha helped set up Henry’s medical practice and managed most of the business details for the entire 47 years that he practiced.
Martha was a devoted wife and mother who was staunchly proud of and blessed by all four of her children. She could drill multiplication tables, spelling and grammar, edit essays and book reports all while cooking dinner. She was a constant presence at school where she served on the PTA, volunteered in the classroom and always attended every recital, concert, spelling bee, auction or event for all of her children. She was an avid reader and took great joy in reading to her children and to any child who wanted a story. She loved to host parties and invited guests for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays and other special events.
She was active in Fidelia Club and helped the club stage large craft fairs and holiday bazaars to raise money to support their charitable efforts. In later years, she was a member of Pilot Club and helped to promote bike safety by putting on puppet shows at elementary schools around town. She volunteered at Sacred Heart School even after all of her children and grandchildren graduated. Martha also participated in a medical mission tour to Kenya with Kenya Relief.
She loved to travel and was able to visit 48 states, several European countries and Kenya.
Visitation will be on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m., Rosary Service immediately to follow at Sacred Heart Church, Cullman, Alabama. On Tuesday, Jan. 24, her funeral mass will begin at 11 a.m., at Sacred Heart Church. Martha wanted her funeral to be a celebration of her life and asked that her friends and family wear joyful colors to honor her passing.
A memorial service will be held at Trowbridge Funeral Home in Lebanon Junction, Kentucky on January 28, 2023, from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. Graveside service will then be held at Lebanon Junction Cemetery at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Sacred Heart School in Cullman, Alabama.
