Beulah A. Barrett

Beulah Barrett lived a long and fulfilling life rich with traditions and an overabundance of love for her family. She was a woman of faith whose touch extended to countless others within her reach. A rather adventurous woman, Beulah traveled many places throughout the United States as she had a keen appreciation for the world around her. She lived an active lifestyle, even well into the sunset of her life, and she was one who usually liked to be kept busy. Beulah leaves behind a beautiful mosaic of memories that will live on in the hearts and lives of those who follow her. Life in America during the year 1915 was truly exciting with new technology and expanding innovation that was taking us places we had never been before. The first taxi ride was taken during this time and it was also the year that transcontinental telephone service was inaugurated while the one millionth Ford rolled off the assembly line. It was this same year that brought unspeakable joy into the family of Merle and Elizabeth (Monk) Moore as they welcomed the birth of their daughter, Beulah, on February 17th. Born in Marshall, Minnesota, Beulah was the fifth of seven children in her family including older siblings Josephine, Mertle, Delila, and George and younger siblings Ione and Jack. Beulahs father worked as a farmer while her mother not only worked in the fields alongside her husband, but also had more than enough to keep her busy with the demands of a house and an active family. Actually, the farm was a family affair as they all pitched in and did their fair share of the work. Their farm was located in Grand Haven where Mercury Drive and Robbins Road meet today. The Moore family was able to get away from time to time including memorable trips to Chicago to visit family. Beulah attended Peach Plains Elementary until the eighth grade, which was fairly commonplace for the youth of that generation. As a young girl, Beulah enjoyed having fun, which at times led her into just a bit of mischief. On one such occasion, Beulah and her sister, Ione, borrowed two quarters from the dairy farmer where they worked. They then went to the bakery in town and bought cream curls with the money they borrowed. On their way back to the farm, they decided they better finish their treats off before they got home to avoid getting in trouble. Beulah and her sister then gulped down as many as they could until they were both sick by the time they got home. Their mother was left wondering why in the world her girls werent feeling well! It wasnt easy to forget the time that Beulah attended a wedding and ended up dancing with her bother, Jack, who was a great dancer. Needless to say, she had her work cut out for her just to keep up, but she ended up on her butt instead! Life was forever changed for Beulah when she met and later married Albert Bloomquist in 1932 during a ceremony in which she traded in the more traditional white wedding gown for red one. They were blessed just one year later with the birth of their daughter, Beverly, in 1933. Beulah and Albert raised their family in Grand Haven where she worked as a custodian at Ferry School for 25 years until she retired in 1983. There were plenty of traditions in Beulahs home through the years. There were frequent family gatherings whether they were celebrating a holiday or a birthday, and Christmas was always spent with her brothers and sisters at her home. Beulah enjoyed visitors of any kind and often invited family or friends over for pizza. There were frequently extra people at Beulahs table for Sunday dinners as well. Many of these traditions carried on with Beulahs third husband, Robert Barrett, whom she married in 1985. It was plain to see that there were many things that Beulah enjoyed throughout her lifetime and that most of them involved those she loved. She liked to travel and took many vacations all over the country with her daughter, her grandchildren and later, her great-grandchildren, too. Beulah was a longtime member of United Methodist Church of the Dunes where she was a Sunday school teacher for several years. At one time, her grandchildren Mike, Cindy, and Debbie even sat through her class on Sundays. Beulah was a talented seamstress who used her gift to sew projects for others. She did a fair amount of quilting for her church where she also established many friendships that she treasured. Beulah also had a green thumb and loved maintaining her beautiful garden, and she enjoyed being active, too. She even walked on a treadmill until she was 93 years old! Since she adored all of her grandchildren, it is no surprise that most recently she loved baking brownies for her great-great-grandsons. When reflecting on the life of Beulah Barrett, it is easy to see that she packed a whole lot of living into the 95 years she was given. She dearly loved her family and spending time with them always topped her list. Beulahs basement was usually the gathering place for her family when they were celebrating holidays, birthdays, or any other special occasion. Those whose lives she touched will be forever changed for the better because they were loved by such an extraordinary woman. Beulah will be deeply missed. Beulah A. Barrett died on Thursday, August 5, 2010. Beulahs family includes her daughter, Beverly (AL) Christensen of Manistee; grandchildren, Debbie (John) Kingma of Spring Lake, Cindy (Russ) Berg of Grand Haven; great-grandchildren, Kimberly (Daniel) Morris, Ryan (Jennifer) Christensen, Angela (Daniel) Smith, Jenna Tatu, Joshua Odmark, Lisa Tatu, Jake Tatu; great-great-grandchildren, Dyllan Morris, Konnor Morris, Bevin Smith, Cayvin Smith; several nieces, nephews & cousins. Beulah was preceded in death by her husband, Robert, in November of 2002; grandson, Mike Christensen, in April of 1998; brothers, Jack & George; and sisters, Ione, Josephine, Mertle, & Delila. Services will be held on Friday, August, 13, 2010, 11:00 a.m. at United Methodist Church of the Dunes with Rev. Milton Stahl officiating. Visit with Beulahs family and friends on Thursday, 5:00-8:00 p.m. at Clock Life Story Funeral Homes Grand Haven location - Grand Haven, MI. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a favorite memory or photo, sign the online guestbook, or make a memorial contribution to Alzheimer's Association or Harbor Hospice.