Virginia Beaman, 92

Virginia M. Smith Beaman, 92, of Grand View, died Sunday, Jan. 29, 2006, at a local hospital.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at Knight Community Church in Grand View. Inurnment will follow at Riverside Cemetery. Family and friends are invited to visit at the Grand View Senior Center following the services. Arrangement are under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel.

In 1972 Virginia was selected as the Outstanding Elementary Teacher of America. The honor is awarded annually to men and women who have distinguished themselves by their service and leadership in the field of elementary education. Guidelines for their selection recognizes the teacher's talents and professionalism and exceptional service in the classroom and community.

She taught school in the Grand View valley for 33 years. At the time of her retirement she was teaching the grandchildren of her first students.

She belonged to the Idaho Education Association, the National Education Association and was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma.

She was born in Portland, Ore., on Dec. 13, 1913, to Mary and Ray Smith. She moved with her parents to Mountain Home where she attended grade school. She graduated from Mountain Home High School in 1931.

She and her parents then moved to Gooding, so Virginia could attend Gooding College from 1931-1934. She then attended Albion Normal School in the summer of 1936 and 1940, the College of Idaho the summers of 1958 and 1965, and Idaho State University the summer of 1963 with her daughter Patricia, and in the summer of 1964 with her daughter Linda. She received her BA Degree from Idaho State University in 1965.

In 1934, she began teaching in Hayland grade school, a one-room school with all eight grades. She taught there for two years. Virginia continued teaching the next three years in Grand View, leaving only to get married. Married teachers at that time could not work in the Grand View School District.

She taught in Prairie for one year before returning to Grand View to continue teaching from 1945 until 1976. She took time off to have her four daughters.

Virginia married LeRoy Beaman on May 20, 1939, in Boise. They waited and celebrated their 60 wedding anniversary on June 12, 1999, in order to share their happiness at the marriage of their oldest granddaughter, Molly, in Elko, Nev. LeRoy and Virginia were honored by a special song, flowers and a special 60th Anniversary cake at the wedding reception

Virginia had accepted the Lord as her Savior in November 2004, and was baptized in her Grand View church in August 2005.

Virginia was active in the Grand View Senior Center, Knight Community Church, the Lady Lions Club, the Lions Club, the Cowbelles of Owyhee County, and the Sheriff's Posse. She always helped as unofficial secretary to her husband's elected office as secretary in the Sheriff's Posse and the Grand View Lions Picnic.

She is survived by: her daughters, Patricia Beaman of Grand View, Diana Berger of San Dimas, Calif., and Kathy and Leonard Jackson of Edmonds, Wash., five grandchildren, two great-grandsons and one great-granddaughter; a sister-in-law, Virginia Beaman Cowger of Kuna, and a niece and three nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, LeRoy Beaman, a daughter, Linda, a son-in-law, Gerry Berger, a sister, Naomi Lang, two brothers, Art and Howard Smith, and a nephew.

Donations may be made to the Grand View Ambulance Service, the Grand View Fire Department, the Grand View Senior Center or the Knight Community Church, all c/o Grand View, ID 83624.