Beulah Faye Courtney, age 93, was born June 4, 1928, to Johnnie and Nellie (Ward) Harris in Houston, MO. She was the younger sister of Velma (Harris) Adams. Beulah passed peacefully on the afternoon of September 29, 2021, at Houston House Nursing Facility.
She grew up north of Houston, along the river with several member of the family nearby. She attended Houston Schools and graduated in the top 10 with the class of 1945. Beulah was the “Literature” honor student and was accompanied in her class with her future partner in life, Albert Courtney. The class of 1945 continued to meet for class reunions and maintained as a close group.
Beulah is preceded in death by her father, mother, sister, and husband, Albert. She is survived by children, Michael Courtney and his wife, Joan of Fort Wayne IN, and Sandra (Courtney) Nance and her husband, Marvin of Lees Summit, MO; grandchildren, Danelle Courtney-Richardson, Catlin (Courtney) Bulger, Jeff Nance, and Jena (Nance) Lindsey and their families.
Beulah worked for a period in Jefferson City and had the opportunity of seeing Winston Churchill as he traveled to Fulton for his “Iron Curtain” speech.
Moving back to Houston, she married Albert Courtney in 1950 and lived in a small house on the north side of town.
Beulah worked for many years at the Texas County Library before working at Richards Brothers Grocery in Houston. She ended her working career at Lee’s factory where she sewed pockets on jeans from February 1974 to February of 1994.
Beulah enjoyed family, friends and neighbors and was known to provide those folks with cinnamon rolls on occasion.
She was a long-time member of Houston First Christian Church. She taught children’s Sunday school, vacation Bible school, and in later years helped occasionally in adult classes.
Beulah enjoyed gardening, flowers, canning food, and family. She also enjoyed visiting with neighbors in the Lilly View addition where she and Albert lived for 55 years.
