Mrs. Beda M Mae Middleton

Beda Mae (Carswell) Middleton joined her Heavenly Father on Sunday, April 17, 2016. Her friends and family celebrated her loving, nurturing soul for the 88 years she blessed us with her presence. Born in Kansas City, Missouri on December 21, 1927, she was the second daughter of Allan Anderson Carswell and Bertha Ramsey Carswell. She is preceded in death by her older sister, Betty Jean Carswell McGettigan and is survived by her brother, Allan Anderson Carswell, Jr. of Stanwood, Washington. She grew up in the Northeast area of Kansas City and graduated from Northeast High School in 1945. She held a couple of jobs in high school working at Montgomery Wards and then the Army Effect Bureau. She later worked for family friend, Phil Broadbent, during tax preparation season, as assistant to the President of the Kansas City Stake office for the church, and then retired with J.W. In 1982. She started her Freshman year at Graceland College in Lamoni, IA, however left after the first term when on March 2, 1947, she married the love of her life, Jerome Washington Middleton, Sr. who preceded her in death by 13 years. Their 56 year marriage was filled with laughter and love, plus a commitment to their faith though the Community of Christ Church. Both having served as pastor of several congregations, they spread the value of a relationship with our Heavenly Father through their ministry. As the mother of five, Beda was labeled 'Mrs. Mean of the North', but her loving discipline and nurturing spirit was felt not just by her children, but the kids in the neighborhood, 4-H kids from St. Clair County, MO and anyone lucky enough to have her as a bible school or Sunday School teacher, or youth group leader, or who were lucky enough to eat some of her great cooking at church camp. Hers was the house kids could come to after school to wait for their own parents to get home, where you could go to get a snack, or just have someone listen while you talked. She and J.W. loved volunteering and worked at Camp Rainbow, a camp for kids with cancer, and, until their health prevented it, as members of The Laurel Club. Her legacy is a strong one. She precedes in death her five children and their families: Jerome Washington Middleton, Jr., his wife Marsha Burry Middleton, of Roach, MO their daughter, Stephanie Lynn Middleton, and their son David Jerome Middleton and his wife Jennifer Lee Middleton; Mary Margaret Middleton Huffman, her husband Cary Glenn Huffman of Kansas City, MO, their daughter Michelle Cary Huffman, her fiancée, Jeff Chisam, Alicia Gail Huffman, her husband Erik Bennett; their son, Nathan Michael Huffman; and daughter Hannah Marie Huffman and her significant other Lance Steven Cole; John Allan Middleton, his wife Ellen Holmes Middleton of Owensboro, KY their daughter Elsa Melina Reiff and her husband Mike, their three children, Jon, Lily, and Finn; Erika Maya Rezek and her husband Lane, their daughter Amelia; and their son Jonas Holmes Middleton, his wife Tiffany Willey Middleton and their daughter Abigail Violet Mae; daughter Patricia Ann Middleton Vossler, her husband Norman Vossler of Tonganoxie, KS and their son Matthew Charles Vossler and his wife Lori Seirer Vossler; and Beda Linea Middleton Johnson and her husband, Dan Johnson of Atlanta, GA. A celebration of her amazing life will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the Community of Christ East 39th Street Congregation, 15006 East 39th Street S., Independence, MO 64055. The family will receive guests at the church at 2:00 p.m. after a private graveside service. Tributes, cards and flowers can be sent to the Community of Christ Church East 39th Street Congregation, 15006 East 39th Street S., Independence, MO 64055.