Notes for Beulah Martha Martin:
General Notes:
- Mrs. Beulah Martin Shore, 92, of Tobaccoville, a resident of Village Care in King, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2005. She was born July 20, 1913, and was preceded in death by her parents, William Relius Martin and Elisa Long Martin; her husband, Hugh Thomas Shore; two sisters, Della Martin Shamel and Alice Martin George of Tobaccoville; a brother, Grady E. Martin of Stanleyville; and a daughter-in-law, Sandra Doub Shore, of Tobaccoville. Mrs. Shore is survived by four sons, Curtis Lentz Shore (Sylvia), Thomas Winburn Shore (Ann), Hugh Terry Shore and Bennie Ray Shore (Dianne), all of Tobaccoville; a sister, Mrs. Eva M. Johnson, of East Bend; two brothers, Roy W. Martin of Winston-Salem and Paul R. Martin of Wilmington; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Mrs. Shore was active as long as her health allowed, in her church at Mizpah Moravian; the Women's Auxilary of Old Richmond Volunteer Fire Department; and Old Town Eastern Star No. 355. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 tonight, Sept. 9, at Vogler & Sons Funeral Home, Reynolda Road. The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, at Mizpah Moravian Church, with the Rev. Jon Boling officiating, followed by a graveside service in the church graveyard. The family would like to thank the nurses, CNAs and the entire staff at Village Care of King for the care given to our Mother. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Mizpah Moravian Church Graveyard Fund, 3195 Mizpah Church Road, Rural Hall, NC 27045. (Vogler & Sons Reynolda Road)
Published in the Winston-Salem Journal on 9/9/2005.
The following Memoir of Beulah Martin Shore was read, at her funeral by the pastor, Jon Boling.
Some people show who they are by what they say. Other people show who they are by what they do. Beulah Shore was just such a person.
Born in 1913 to William Relilus Martin and Eliza Long Martin, Beulah was raised according to the timeless ethic of hard work and the importance of family. One of seven children, Beulah knew what it meant to labor and to share. Growing up on a farm, Beulah and her siblings experienced first hand the daily toil and rewards of rural life. These early years shaped Beulah, forging her into a strong woman who expected much from herself and from those around her.
Beulah's marriage to Hugh Thomas Shore on July 22, 1932, began the most important phase of her life as a wife and especially as a mother to her sons Lentz, Winburn, Terry and Ray. When I asked the fellows if their mother and father had a close relationship, Terry replied, "They were close enough to have four boys." She cared enough for those boys to raise them right and to insist on their good behavior. If that behavior wandered, a useful bush stood at the ready to provide a switch for the tanning of young hides. The grandchildren also knew Maw Maw's expectations. Steve remembers once trying to avoid nap time by removing a window fan and climbing out to play in the backyard, forgetting there were other windows through which Beulah might discover that he and Carolyn had flown the coup. He wrote, "I'll never forget the look in her eyes, (and the fear in mine,) when we rain around the corner of the house only to meet her face to face standing there waiting on us." And just to be sure, Beulah had already closed their escape route by replacing the window fan, before heading outside. Needless to say there were no more problems with nap time after that. Beulah believed in the idea, "Spare the goldenrod, spoil the child." Her children and grandchildren though, grew to understand that this was all for their benefit - and now remember these times with affection. By her actions, Beulah was teaching and training those she loved most.
Yet, not only did she help her own children, as if four sons were not enough. Beulah also took in several boys who had nowhere else to go. She fed them, gave them a place to live and taught them how to work and how to act. She even received into her home an infant who had been scalded. Beulah cared for the child and nurtured her until she was well. Think of it, this very day we hear the plea for citizens of our land to help others find a home who have been displaced by circumstances beyond their control. Yet decades ago Beulah Shore was already engaged in such ministry. Jesus said, "When you have done it unto the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me."
Life also had its lighter moments for Beulah as she would often take the grandchildren to the King Dime Store to pick out a toy or to the Old Richmond Grill to pick out a hotdog. She enjoyed talking with her sisters. They kept each other informed on the latest news. They also made delicious Christmas cookies and enjoyed quilting. And even though she rarely left this area, while in her sixties, Beulah flew all the way to Texas to vist a former renter and friend. Long after this journey Beulah recalled with wonder and pride the experience of traveling so far and seeing so much away from her home.
The Lord gives every person a special gift. Beulah's gift was manifested in the kitchen. She was a wonderful cook. The thought of her pecan pie and other baked creations are still tasted in the memories of those who had the pleasure of enjoying them. They say you can't take it with you, but that's exactly what Beulah did with her recipes. She worked them from memory, as it was always a 'pinch of this and a little of that,' making them difficult for others to replicate.
And Beulah never let anyone go hungry. Not only did she feed her famly, but if someone in the community was in need, she was right there with a gift of food and attention to bring comfort and assistance during a difficult time. And you could not go Christmas caroling to the Shore home without being invited inside for refreshments. When we serve those around us, we serve the Lord. And as a member of Mizpah Moravian Church since 1942, Beulah was an importnat part of God's work in her efforts to support various activities, especially those involving meals. The popular lawn suppers for which Mizpah was well known was a favorite project for Beulah. She cared for her church and set an example for her family to follow, making sure her boys were there every Sunday. And even though Beulah could be feist in her speech, her actions still ring in our minds long after her voice was silenced by disease. Through hard work, discipline, her many culinary gifts and the special attention only a mother can bestow, Beulah bequeathed to her sons a legacy of devotion and good deeds to those in need. During the past ten years Beulah's family has lived that legacy in the devoted care they have shown to her. In the late 1980's Beulas was diagnosed with Alzheimer Disease and in 1995 it was necessary for her to move to a nursing care facility. Many people iln similar circumstances suffer the pain of separation and loneliness. Yet, Lentz, Winburn, Terry and Ray, along with their lovign wives, Sylvia, Ann, the late Sandra (and Terry's good friend Penny) and Diane committed themselves to Beulah's care and comfort by visiting her every day and making sure she had what she needed. An enduring testament to their faithfulness are the logbooks they kept, recording the names, days and times of each visit, along with pertinent information concerning Beulah's conditon. I was honored to sign the book with I visited. I would speak softly to Beulah for a few minutes before saying a prayer with her. I often felt that she was aware and maybe even understood what was happening. Her sons agreed. They would talk to her and encourage her, letting her know they were always there for her. These devoted children counted upon the endless mercies of God to communicate their love and devotion to the mother who had always been there for them. It did not matter that she could not verbally respond. In their actions the children were returning the gift their mother had given them.
This legacy has been passed on to Beulah's grandchildren. Again, Steve wrote, "When I would return home from college on weekends, she would be across the street and over to our house before I could get out of my car. She just wanted to see me and see how my week had fone. She just cared about us so much. Thank you, Maw Maw for loving me and caring for me the way you so genuinely did."
Lori has expressed her love for her grandmother in these prepared remarks with which I would like to conclude. She writes: "Maw Maw, when I think of you, the first thing that comes to mind is your cooking! You had a magic touch in the kitchen. It seems like you always had your delicious homemade light bread or my favorite pecan tarts fresh out of the oven every time I came through your door. And your grape leaf pickles, they were just the best! I could eat them until I made myself sick. I remember as a young girl, how you would always tell me to be good and how much Jesus loved me. You would read me Bible stories and you would play ball with me and Steve. I remember how you would chse me around the house sticking out your false teeth and making me scream and we would laugh so hard! Life seemed so simple back then. As I grew up, you talked to me about the value of family and you would tell me stories about my ancestors and you would sit with me for hours looking through drawer after drawer of old family photographs with some kind of story to follow about each one. I used to love to look through those old pictures with you, and what means the most to me now is that you took the time to do things like that with me. Maw Maw, what amazed and impressed me the most about you is how you took in needy children and gave them a home. It takes a special kind of person to take in someone else's kids and love them the way you did. I remember the care and time you put into the making of many beautiful quilts. I have the one you gave me on my bed and I will treasure it always. I remember as a teenager how I would sit and watch you put on your makeup and paint your fingernails. I had never seen anyone with as many bottles of fingernail polish as you had.
I'll never forget the day we were going to Old Town and you turned left at a red light in front of Leinbach Machinery and I ended up in the floor board scared half to death and how we argured because you told me that as long as a car was not coming, you COULD turn left on red. I can look back on that now and laugh because I know the good Lord was watching over us that day.
It has been hard watching your health decline over the years, but I know that on Wednesday afternoon at 1:15 p.m. you entered into God's kingdom and that you are now healthy and whole with Jesus. I know you are so proud of your boys. They have been by your side all these years caring for you the way you did for them. You certainly raised them right and the love and care they have shown to you reflects that.
I love you and thank you for being such a wonderful grandmother and I thank you for giving me such a great Dad and a close family that I am so blessed to be a part of.
Love,
Your granddaughter, Lori"
Yes, many people show their love by what they say. Others, like Beulah hore, show their love by what they do. May the Lord shine the light of His eternal glory upon our dear sister, Beulah, and may each of us know th epeace of our salvation in Jesus Christ, now and forevermore. Amen.
The Reverend Jonathan Boling, Pastor
Mizpah Moravian Church
September 10, 2005