Clara Mae Bean (McGill)

JONESVILLE, La. - Funeral services for Mrs. Clara Mae McGill Bean, 83, of St Joseph, Louisiana will be held at Trinity Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 12 noon with the Rev Melodie Long, Rev Joe Hill, Rev Johnny Wilkins, and Mrs. Mildred Bean officiating. Funeral services are under the direction of Young’s Funeral Home of Jonesville. Services to disperse her ashes at Trout Creek Cemetery in Call, Texas are scheduled for 3 P.M. Sunday, September 27, 2009. Mrs. Bean was born June 3, 1926, in Orange, Texas to Thomas Andrew McGill and Lona Eleanora Landry McGill. She was graduated from Orange High School in 1943. She married Jeff Bean, Jr. on September 21, 1943 in Orange, Texas and began a life’s journey with him in Boston, Massachusetts during World War II. After the war, she and Jeff had four children: Allan Klark, Abi Gail, Jeff Kirkpatrick, and Ivan Arthur. While raising her family, working in her community, and serving her church, Drake Memorial Presbyterian Church in Orange, Texas, she enrolled in Lamar State College of Technology in 1955 and was graduated three years later in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics with Honors. She was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society at Lamar. She began teaching at Jones Elementary School in Orange, Texas and continued teaching in Austin, Texas as chief support of the family while her husband, Jeff Bean, attended Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She continued to raise her family, teach school, and support the church at Rev Jeff Bean’s first calling at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Jonesville, Louisiana in 1966. She and Rev Bean subsequently went to McGeehee Presbyterian Church in McGeehee, Arkansas and then to Newellton Union Church in Newelton, Louisiana. While in Newellton she began work at the LSU cooperative extension service as a 4H agent and as the home economist for Tensas Parish. When Rev Bean was called to Heaven in 1986 she moved to Lake Bruin at St Joseph, Louisiana where she continued her work with the LSU extension service for a number of years. An avid bird watcher, she carefully tended her home on the lake developing an oasis of flora and fauna as inviting to mankind as to the birds of the air. She was a reliable and fair poll worker for many elections as well as a pillar of support and fellowship to her many friends on Lake Bruin and the surrounding communities. She continued active support of the church as a ruling elder and especially enjoyed participating in the well known quilting bees at Newellton Union Church in Newellton, Louisiana. Clara was a strong and determined fighter, having successfully beat cancer into remission twice over 11 years. Upon finding that her third recurrence was resistant to treatment she said that she knew that day would eventually come and as it had arrived she said she was ready to go since, after all, she would be going to a better place. With her usual determination she then focused on her transition to life after death and in seven days she quietly went to rest in the hands of God on Sunday, September 20, 2009. Clara was a loving and devoted wife, mother, aunt, grandmother and great grandmother known to all as Nanny, and wise counsel to everyone, friends and family alike. She could mend any garment or soul and unselfishly and faithfully served God to Whom she now has gone. Going on before her were her husband, Rev Jeff Bean, two sons, Jeff Kirkpatrick Bean and Ivan Arthur Bean, and her sister Georgia Helen Franks. Remaining behind are her son Colonel Allan Klark Bean and his wife Charlene of Jonesville, daughter Abi Gail Bean of St Joseph, devoted daughters-in-law Susan Scott Bean and Mildred Wuster Bean, nine grandchildren, fifteen great grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, grand nieces, and grand nephews. Pallbearers will be Jason Bean, Jeff Bean, Matthew Bean, Damon Bean, Scott Bean, Richard Wilds, Carl Davis, Mike Wilson, Mike Cazenave, and Jay King. Honorary pallbearers will be Glen Tiser, Raymond Nicholson, Dickey Wilds, Michael J. Wilson, Robert Lee Swayze, Ronnie Swayze, and Craig Edwards. The family will receive friends at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Jonesville, Louisiana from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, September 22, 2009.

Clara Mae Bean (McGill)

June 3, 1926 - September 20, 2009