Lenda C. Beard, 68, of Florence passed away Thursday, June 6, 2013 at ECM Hospital after a long battle with cancer. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Elkins Funeral Home, Florence. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home with Caleb Cunningham and Donnie McDaniel officiating. Burial will follow at Tri-Cities Memory Gardens.
Lenda attended Coffee High School and UNA where she received her BA and MA Degrees. She taught at Itawamba Junior College, Central High School, Waterloo High School, Brooks High School and Wilson High School. During her years teaching, she touched many lives (6,500 by her count) and brightened many days for everyone who knew her. Lenda’s civic activities included The Red Cross, Cancer Association, Green Peace and theater. She served on the committee that organized and began the first “The Miracle Worker” production. She went on to play the part of Annie Sullivan for 16 years. Lenda also helped to acquire the first Leo the Lion at UNA and she was a member of Salem Church of Christ. Her hobbies included reading, gardening, her cats, and feeding the squirrels, birds and any strays that came her way.
Lenda is survived by her sister, Claudette (J.P.) Sides; niece, Toni Brown; nephew, Beau (Leah) Sides; and great niece and nephew, Lauren and Justin Brown. She is also survived by her extended family of close friends, Janice (Mike) Jones, Missie (Darrell) Pickle, Mandie (Randy) D’Herde and their children, Gary (Rose) Day and Wayne Gean.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Claude and Mildred Beard and her sister, Wanda.
Pallbearers will be Ronnie Willis, Jr. Whitt, Phillip Patterson, Doug Hendrix, Travis Clemons, Darrell Pickle, Dax Holt and Shane Taylor. Honorary Pallbearers are Ricky Beadle, Jerry Crowell, Travis Burgess, Billy Valentine, Alan Trimm, Gary Day, Barry Sellers, Carl Marks and Mike Jones.
A very special Thank You is given to the Gentiva Hospice Family, the Lauderdale County Teacher’s Credit Union, the Sitters, the North Florence Fire Department, Dr. Mitchell, Dr. Webb, the ECM Palliative Care Unit and to everyone who called, sent cards and visited during Lenda’s extended illness.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Animal Rescue Shelter and it was Lenda’s wish that everyone will plant a tree in your lifetime for her.
