Beulah Loyce Clarke

She was preceded in death by brother Andrew Wyatt and sister-in-law Lucille, sister Sarah Ruth, brother Elisha Wyatt and sister-in-law Sheila, sister Arkie Baugher and brother-in-law Jim, sister Artie Knox and brother-in-law Harold, sister Christeen Bolt and brother-in-law Ray, sister Sylvia Damron and brother-in-law Vernon, and brother Yancy Wyatt.

Beulah is survived by her son John Clarke, sister Kathleen Garcia and brother-in-law Tom, and sister-in-law Alda Wyatt. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews residing in Florida, Colorado, Illinois, Washington, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Oregon, Louisiana, Arizona, Arkansas, California, and Japan.

Those who knew Beulah saw her walk and talk her faith throughout her life. When Beulah was eight years old she accepted Jesus as her Savior and received the filling of the Holy Spirit while attending the Free Will Baptist Church in Sunnyview, Missouri. On a July 4th church picnic Beulah and her sister, Katie, were baptized in the local river. In 1941, 10 year-old Beulah and her family left Missouri and moved to California. Her family settled in Hollister and attended the Assembly of God Church. Every summer Beulah and her siblings would work in the fields picking plums, peaches, pears, and apricots. Beulah was a good student and always achieved high marks. Participating in spelling bees became a favorite activity in grammar school. Other activities included tennis, baseball, track, basketball and volleyball, and playing clarinet in the high school band. Beulah graduated from San Benito Joint Union High School in 1948.

While attending an Assembly of God tent meeting in Santa Cruz, she met her future husband, Jim Clarke. They married in September 1950 and moved to San Diego where Jim’s family lived. In June 1951 their son, John, was born. He was the bright light in Beulah’s life and she loved him dearly all her days. Beulah loved to teach Sunday school and Sabbath school and she often ministered from the pulpit. She took piano lessons as an adult so she could play her beloved gospel hymns.

Beulah felt the calling to be a missionary. At age 18 she received a message from God telling her to go minister in Africa. Family life and its commitments happened but Beulah never forgot saying “yes” to God. In 1980, at the age of 49, she joined a missionary venture to China to smuggle in Bibles. It was an important calling for Beulah. During this venture she also visited the Philippines, Korea, and Hawaii. At last, in 2010, at the age of 79, Beulah and her niece, Sharon, served on a mission trip to Uganda, Africa. Sharon said that she was a favorite of the orphans and told Bible stories to them with big flip books and with the aid of an interpreter. They assisted the doctors and dentists on seven days of medical mission trips to remote villages on the island. For Beulah, it was a calling fulfilled.

Along with being a dedicated mother, Beulah worked as a secretary. Throughout her career she worked for an insurance company, DMV, Human Resources Development, San Diego Job Bank, plus several other agencies before landing a position in 1979 with the State Mediation Service. She retired from there in 1994 at the age of 63. In 2003, Beulah moved to Clovis, California to be closer to her family. She spent many evenings playing games with family members. Her favorite games were Yahtzee, Skip-Bo, and Scrabble. Throughout the years she enjoyed frequent trips to San Diego to visit her son as well as trips to visit family living in California and Oregon. When she could no longer drive long distances, she began taking the train or flying to visit friends and family. She always had a story to tell about the people she had met and how she witnessed and shared her testimony with them. Those interactions brought her a lot of happiness.

Beulah spent her last 4 ½ years at the Holiday Fig Garden Independent Retirement Facility. She made many friends there with whom she shared the word of God. Beulah understood that as her most important job on Earth and it gave her much joy. During her time at Fig Garden she looked forward to playing games in the social hall, such as Wheel of Fortune and Bean Bag Baseball. She sported a sharp aim in Bean Bag Baseball -- and often beat the men.

Beulah lived a full life with an unwavering walk with the Lord. A faithful servant to Jesus, she was an inspirational witness to all who knew her. On January 7th, 2021, she passed peacefully from this life to the next listening to some of her favorite gospel hymns. Surely Jesus, along with friends and family, were there to greet her with open arms.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.boicefuneralhome.com for the Clarke family.