Mary Jane Beasley

Mary Jane Church Beasley, dedicated civic volunteer, died Saturday, January 22, 2011, at her residence, Mercer Hall. She was known by many through her decades of service as a substitute teacher at Columbia Central High School. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church. Services for Mrs. Beasley will be conducted at 2 P.M. Saturday, January 29 at First United Methodist Church with The Rev. Joe Evans, Pastor Yvonne Ogilvie Gilbreath, and Wally Beasley, Jr. officiating. Maury County Director of Schools Eddie Hickman, Columbia Central High School Assistant Principal Rose Ogilvie McClain, and Columbia Central High School Director of Vocal Music and Theater Susan Manning will offer remembrances. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery. The family will receive condolences at the residence, Mercer Hall, 901 Mercer Court, from 7 to 9 P.M. Friday. Masses will be celebrated in her honor at 4 P.M. Saturday, February 12 and at 10 A.M. on Sunday, February 13 at St. Clement of Rome Parish Church in Metairie, Louisiana. Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. The Columbia native was the daughter of the late Mary Anderson and Wendell Holmes Church. She was married to the late Wally Smith Beasley. She attended the public schools of Columbia and graduated from Central High School. She received a B.A. from Vanderbilt University, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta Women's Fraternity, the Student Christian Association, and the Vanderbilt A Capella Choir. She studied voice at Ward-Belmont Conservatory of Music under Sidney Dalton for many years. She was a soloist at First Methodist Church and First Presbyterian Church and sang in the choir at West End Methodist Church in Nashville during her Vanderbilt years. She was a former Regent of the Jane Knox Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution; served as Treasurer of The Students' Club for many years; and was a life member of the Sam Davis Memorial Association. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Capt. James Madison Sparkman Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy, James K. Polk Memorial Association, Ladies' Hermitage Association, Maury County Chapter of the A.P.T.A., Maury County Republican Party, Nashville Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta, and Tennessee Historical Society. She was formerly a member of the American Association of University Women, Executive Board of McDowell School P.T.A., Friends of Cheekwood, Maury County Historical Society, Maury County Vanderbilt Alumni Association, and Schubert Club. She is survived by a son, Wally, Jr. (Charlotte) and two grandchildren, Alexandra Catherine Beasley and Hunter Robertson Beasley. Pallbearers will be Page Chamberlain, Dr. Tom Farmer, James Paul Gary, Walter Johnson, Sen. Bill Ketron, and Frank Stephens. Honorary pallbearers will be Capt. James Madison Sparkman Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy; Jane Knox Polk Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution; Staff of Bank of America, Downtown Branch; The Students' Club; Pat Bowman, Mike Crutcher, Frank Dale, John Hartling; Debbie Matthews; Dr. Robert McClure, Alan Pedigo; Catherine Pedigo; Glenn Stewart; Joe Stewart; Raymond Stone; David Walker; and Genie White. Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church; First United Methodist Church; Sam Davis Memorial Association, 1399 Sam Davis Road, Smyrna, TN 37167; or The Students Club, c/o Donna Barr, 305 Hemingway Dr., Columbia, TN 38401.