Beulah Mae Porterfield

A life punctuated by Christian love, integrity, and generosity ended Thursday night with the passing of Beulah Mae (Morgan) Porterfield, 86, of Price Hill, W.Va., who died in a Beckley nursing home after an extended illness. A Greenbrier County, WV native, she was born September 14, 1920, in the community of Hoseshoe Bend, near Ronceverte, WV the daughter of the late Elbert and Eliza Via Morgan. Fiercely proud of her Welsh heritage, one that provided her a lifelong love of music, and of poetry, in which she excelled to the level of winning a number of awards, Mrs. Porterfield was a lifelong homemaker. In the late 1950s, she became a founding member of the Wesleyan Chapel in Beckley, WV where she taught the Youth Class for several years. Until failing health sidelined her, Mrs Porterfield often sang in various churches, accompanied by her late husband, Bernard G. Porterfield, who died in 2004. Throughout her Christian walk, she made a habit of reading the Bible cover to cover annually, and, in the spirit of enduring charity, faithfully sent cards to encourage the stricken, the lonely, and the bereaved, or to remember a birthday or anniversary. A passion for the written word was focused on literature’s giants, especially Charles Dickens, and her favorite was “David Copperfield.” The self-educated mother of five also was keenly fond of classical music. “To be born Welsh is to be born privileged, not with a silver spoon in your mouth, but with music in your heart and poetry in your soul,” read a favorite line of hers. Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by a son, Robert Isaac Porterfield, a sister, Ocie Reed, and brothers Steve, Clemie, Emory and Buddy. Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Duane (Carol Ann) Sellards of Beckley, WV; three sons, Bernard Lee Porterfield of White Sulphur Springs, WV, Mannix Porterfield of Price Hill, WV with whom she lived, and Larry Porterfield of Stanaford, WV; nine grandchildren, Mrs. Fred (Diane) Rickman, of Sand Branch,WV, Becky Amos of Pass Christian, Miss., Teresa of Williamstown, WV, Brenda of Belpre, Ohio, Tony Porterfield, stationed with the Air Force, Andy Porterfield of Pittsburgh, Pa., Donald Buckley and Cherie Ryder of White Sulphur Springs, WV and John Sellards of Beckley, WV; 11 great-grandchildren; three sisters, Mrs. Robert (Eunice) Weikle and Mrs. Donald (Faith) Boone, both of Ronceverte, WV and Mildred Sheppard of Lewisburg, WV; and two brothers, John of Caldwell, WV and Jerry of Baltimore, Md. Friends may call at Tyree Funeral Home, Mount Hope between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday, November 5, 2006. The funeral will be at 11:00 a.m. Monday, November 6, 2006 at Tyree Funeral Home of Mount Hope, WV with the Rev. Allen Gallimore officiating, and gospel music provided by Kathy Hylton. Burial will be in Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley, WV. Pallbearers will be Kenny Crook, Wayne Fox, Roger Trzicak, Adam Trzicak, and nephews Donnie, Mike and Steve Boone.