Julia Beasley

If tears were shed in Heaven early in the morning of February 22, 2013, they had to have been tears of pure joy, as Julia Catherine Beasley was re-united to all of her dearly loved friends and family members who had arrived there before her. After a divine greeting from our Savior Jesus and our Heavenly Father, I can imagine her enfolded in the loving arms of her parents, Edward and Siedonie Pielaet and then embraced by her sisters, Louise, Bessie, and Betty, and her brother, August. Her son, Chuck, would have drawn her into a massive bear hug, and then her precious little grandson, Sammy, would have happily cuddled into her lap. Now, several days after her passing from this earth, the reunion may very well be still going strong. After all, one makes many friends over the course of a hundred years! When Julia was born, the President of the United States was William Howard Taft. That same year the fledgling aviation community celebrated the nation's first cross-country flight, fire-fighting apparatus was still horse-drawn and the big news was the sinking of the British passenger liner RMS Titanic. In the hundred years since, Julia, like any centenarian, saw and lived a great deal. (On her hundredth birthday last October, when asked how she reached this milestone in life, Julia said, "Faith in God and trying to do good," and then added with a laugh, "It wasn't easy!") The youngest of five children, Julia Catherine Pielaet was born on October 28, 1912 to Edward and Siedonie Pielaet in a tiny cabin on their homestead near Pompey's Pillar, Montana. She rode a horse to school, grew up helping her dad on the family farm, got married and raised three children, worked as a railroad telegrapher during World War II and then was employed for many years as a cook, running her own restaurant for several years. After retiring, Julia spent much of her time over a period of twenty-five years assisting older adults in Idaho's Senior Companion Program, and several years ago received a commendation from President Bush for her service to senior citizens in her community. Surviving Julia are her other two children, Carl and Francesseven grandchildren, Teresa, Gene, Karen, Anthony, Debbie, Eddie, and Mikethirteen great grandchildren, Kristen, Amy, Jeremy, Brittany, Jasmine, Jesse, Lauren, Katie, Maddy, Tommy, Star, Sierra, and Annieand five great-great grandchildren, Lilly, Tiger, Malichi, Dagan, and Logan. JuliaMom to meis already profoundly missed. There is a void here nowan empty space where her generous smile, melodious laughter, and loving touch used to be. As they say, our loss is Heaven's gain, which makes me look earnestly forward to my own heavenly reunion. But until then, I'll have to settle for all of the memories, and my mother's legacy to uslessons of faith, forgiveness, and unconditional love.