Grace E. Bewley

Grace was born May 5, 1924 at home in New Albany, KS to Laura Katherine and Mark Forest Bivins. She went to school in New Albany to 8th grade and graduated from Fredonia High School in 1941. She worked in the PX at Littleton, CO while living with her brother Bob, then went to college in Emporia, KS for one year. While working in Topeka, KS in 1944 she decided to join the WAVES (Navy) and attended Boot Training at Hunter College in New York and Yeoman's School in Iowa. She was stationed at Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA and served in the Naval Clerical Forces as a Yeoman, Third Class, receiving an Honorable Discharge in 1946 at the close of World War II.

On August 18, 1946, she married Maurice Bewley, Jr in New Albany and lived in Fall River, KS. After three children were born to that union, both Grace and Maurice went to work at Boeing in Wichita in 1956. Grace worked at a Grade School for three years when she was laid off from Boeing, then decided to return to Boeing. Grace and Maurice retired from Boeing the same year in 1986. Retirement years were spent traveling and spending time with family.

Grace's survivors include daughters, Evelyn Helm (Roy) and Gayla Schlies (Richard) and son, Steven Bewley (Jennifer), 8 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren. Grace was the youngest of 5 children. She is preceded in death by her husband, Maurice Bewley, Jr., her parents, Laura Katherine and Mark Forest Bivins, her 3 brothers, Robert, Mark and William Bivins, and her sister, Marjory Robinson.

Burial took place on October 20 at Weakley Cemetery in New Albany. A Celebration of Life will be held on November 18 at Glenville Baptist Church, 4604 S. Seneca in Wichita, at 11:00 a.m.