On Saturday, November 2, 2019, Belva Maxine Rearick went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at the age of 104 years young! Born in Manorville, Pennsylvania on the 4th of July 1915, to Leah Bell Burkett & Thomas Baird Ross, Belva was truly a “Yankee Doodle Dandy”!! She has been blessed to be on this Earth to witness over a century of astounding historical events, both tragic and joyous that have shaped our nation and the world! She experienced many life changing and amazing scientific developments that young people today just take for granted! It is particularly miraculous that she has enjoyed such a long life because shortly after her birth, she started experiencing periodic, violent convulsions that wracked her tiny body! The Doctor told Belva’s mother that she would not live. Her mother refused to believe the doctor’s grim prediction and she fought with all her strength to save her baby girl! She would stay near Belva while she slept so that if Belva went into convulsions she could put her hand on the child’s head. This went on for two years until one day the convulsions stopped. As a teenager, there was no TV, internet to surf or cell phones. For entertainment kids would gather on the weekends for socials and square dances! It was at one of these fun events that Belva would meet her future husband, Clarence David Rearick. She was there with another boy, but she couldn’t help but notice the tall, cute guy who kept looking her way. He asked her to dance, but all her dances were already promised, so he asked her if at the next Dance the following Thursday she would dance with him. He showed up at her house the next day and every day until that next dance, then claimed all her dances and they became inseparable! They were married on January 20, 1934. Several years later, they decided, as many northerners do, that they were tired of dealing with the cold winters and snow, so they headed south! They moved to Texas in 1946 where they both worked for a large Houston printing firm. Away from their families, they made new friends in Houston through work & church with whom they loved getting together to play Cards & Dominoes and all kinds of fun activities like bowling, miniature golf…etc. My parents, Marshall & Marguerite Roach were some of their best friends. Belva was there the day I was born (in 1952) and as a child growing up I was truly blessed to get to enjoy a LOT of fun times with Belva & Clarence…late night trips to Galveston, midnight swims at Huntsville State Park (until we found out about the snakes!!) and lots of Homemade Ice Cream with all the fixins’ at their home! Since they had no children of their own, I got lots of love and attention from Belva (who I and my family always called by her middle name “Maxine”)! Later, they adopted a son, Robert Joseph as a teenager. He was a little over a year older than me and we were in the same grade. They opened their home to a steady flow of teenagers at that point. Robert was in a band that “rocked” their house with music!! They also enjoyed our high school events and attended several of our football games to watch the Drill Team I performed in at “half-time”. Shortly after graduation, Robert joined the Navy where he was stationed in Guam. There he met and married Cecilia and he came back to the states with Cecilia and her daughter, Lisa. While here they had a new baby daughter, Belva Marie (named after her grandmother). She was born with an intestinal blockage that the doctor did not diagnose properly which led to severe handicap. Later they had another daughter, Cassandra (Sandy). In all, Belva has 3 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild all living in Nevada. She also is survived by a niece, Millie Kosheba in Annapolis, MD. Belva was always included as part of the Roach and Gillespie family, and has spent most Holidays and special times with us for years! My kids and grandkids love her! We threw her a huge 100th Birthday Party in July of 2015. Then 4 smaller celebrations each Birthday since! Clarence passed away in 1991 after almost 59 years of marriage. After his death Belva moved to The Woodlands and joined Living Word Lutheran Church where she has been blessed with many friends and much love and help from her church family which she (and I) deeply appreciated!! Nancy (Roach) Gillespie, (dear friend and “surrogate daughter” to Belva)
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