Beatrice "Bea" Parsley Mullins

Beatrice “Bea” Parsley Mullins, 82, entered eternity on December 26, 2017, the same way she lived her life – with style. Throughout Bea’s life, she made it a point to actively surround herself with people she loved and things that made her happy. Walking through her home, every wall testifies with artifacts of the faces she wanted to see everyday and the places and times she wanted to keep close in her memory. I do not know if her late husband, Max Mullins, had room to nail one more picture frame or honey bee inspired art to the wall, but he gave it a valiant effort. It says in Hebrews 12:1 “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses… let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Bea surrounded herself with witnesses- animate and inanimate, that all testify of her life well lived. Here are but a few: Skipbo cards and dominoes, her incomparable fashion sense of glam and glitter, her sewing machine and crochet hooks, her homemade rag rugs, her West Virginia Tupperware, her ‘to-the-penny” precise checkbook, her garden full of tomatoes and cucumbers, stacks of Hug Coupons (she said upon seeing one in her last days; “This is my love, I have sent around the world!”), her Bible with names and dates of sermons inscribed by certain passages, her Scott Depot choir buddies and partners in crime, her daily epic phone calls to those she loved most, her love for laughter and well told stories, those St. Albans Red Dragons, those dancing roller skates (Thank you, “Ladie’s Choice” skate for encouraging her to pick one handsome Max Mullins and the rest was history!), those Red Hats and her friends at Senior Action, all of the costumes she sewed (and all the ones Max willingly sported), those coloring books, her pets including a very special Lady who was her faithful companion, everything patriotic, her lifelong love affair with Israel, (her first trip was in 1971, and over 15 times later, her last trip in her 80th year). And all of you, her friends! December 13 was her 82 birthday. We showed her your cards and played the video of her church family singing “Happy Birthday.” She began to weep and say, “Isn’t it wonderful!? Its so wonderful to be loved by so many special people!” Yet, the joy of Bea’s life was her family. She made her entrance in Kenova, WV in the loving arms of the late Henry and Elsie Parsley. She instilled laughter, love and fashion sense in her daughters, Barbara, Susan and Karen. She loved their husbands as her own sons, Thomas and Greg. The jewels in her crown were her grandchildren: Mari, Elizabeth, Casey, Andrew, Abigail, and Jarod and their loved ones: Matt, James, Albert, and Laura. Her great grandchildren kept her spry: Tyler, Jordan, one Ruby Josephine who giggled through “Ba Ba Bea’s” unforgettable tea parties and another great-granddaughter, on the way, who danced the entire time her great-grandma was entering eternity. Her siblings were always in her heart: sister Leadema Radford (her husband Phil), and her brothers, Jim Parsley (his wife, Marie), and the late Leland Parsley (survived by his wife Caroline). They all have had extra joy in their life because of Bea and her absence will never go unnoticed. It is truly fitting for their love story that Bea’s entrance into eternity would happen around Christmas. She and the love of her life Max owned and operated a Christmas Tree farm for over 40 years in Teays Valley, WV. They loved Christmas, so it is only fitting that she join him to finish out the season. They had over 50 amazing, adventurous, unforgettable years together. We all basked under the shade of their love for each other and us. The only thing that exceeded her passionate love for her family, was her love for her savior. Almost 50 years ago on Easter, Bea came to the altar as she wept to the words being sung, “I Must Tell Jesus.” After “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,” Hebrews 12 goes on to say, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” Her race was finished well. Even though she had not responded in several days, when the Lord called her name, she lifted her hands in worship, just as she had done throughout her life, and stepped into glory. Leaving those in the room with no doubt of the promises that await. Hebrews 6:19 states, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.” Join us for a celebration of her life on December 30, 2017 at 1 PM at Travelers Rest Christ Fellowship 6440 Old Buncombe Rd. Travelers Rest, SC 29690. In lieu of flowers, please make memorials to Without Walls (using the address above).

Beatrice "Bea" Parsley Mullins

December 13, 1935 - December 26, 2017