Mary Beverlyn Harris Stewart

Services will live streamed on A.S. Turner and Sons Facebook page.

(Mary) Beverlyn Harris was born in Griffin, GA in August of 1927 to Henry Chester Harris, a dairy farmer and Leona Marcelene Gillespie Harris, a school teacher. She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings Janelle Harrris, who died as an infant, Anice Swofford, and Hilton Harris as well as her husband, Norman Elbert (N. E. Stewart) and her oldest son, Ronnie.

Beverlyn Harris left Griffin and arrived in Atlanta in 1944. Her sister in law was working at the Candler Warehouse and gave her an application. She lived with her in an apartment off Boulevard Avenue, near Georgia Baptist Hospital and paid her rent for $10.00 a week. She was hired and started working the week after her graduation from high school at the age of 16. Later she moved in with another friend on Dill Avenue , where her rent was $7.50 a week She worked for the U. S. Government in the West End area of Atlanta until February of 1946, where she was a file clerk in the parts department.

She left Atlanta to visit her sister, Anice, who was living in Mississippi. She returned to Atlanta where she enrolled at Marsh Draughon Business School and learned to work a comptometer. She later worked for Southern Bell and then Standard Oil on Marietta Street, still taking accounting courses.

While working at Southern Bell she met a friend, Nolie Culp and her husband, Al. She moved near them and lived in a boarding house across the street from the Wren’s Nest, again she moved into Verbie Smith’s Boarding House about 1946, the year of the Winecoff Hotel Fire. Nolie and Al Culp played match maker and they introduced Nolie’s friend, Beverlyn to Al’s friend, Norman, a Carroll County native. It was May of 1947 when they met. Norman was a world traveler. He traveled thru Europe and the Pacific Islands, (courtesy of his Uncle Sam). They were married in November of 1947. Their first home was on Epworth Street across the street from Oakland City Park, not too far from the back gate of Ft. MacPherson. The home was built by Mason Benefield, who built most of Ansley Park in Atlanta. They raised their family of one daughter and four sons. Later they moved to East Point and then to Sandtown, a community past Ben Hill in the rural area of S. Fulton Co. It was from their Campbellton Road residence that the children became young adults, seeking their own fame and fortune.

Once they became empty nesters they settled in Barnesville, GA but by this time grandchildren were their pride and joys. Later the moved to Stockbridge, GA where they resided for many years until “Stewart” passed. Beverlyn continued to live there where she felt that Stewart was there watching over her.

Finally Beverlyn felt the house was too big and she was ready to down size and moved to a condo in Fayetteville, GA to be closer to her daughter, Norma and her husband, Larry. After this condo got to be too much she moved in with her son, Dean in Smyrna, GA.

By this time she was well up in her years and again she moved in with another son, James and his wife, Rhonda to Loganville, GA. The joke was she was living in a personal care home, because Rhonda’s mother, Rachel, who was five years younger than Bev was already residing there. Bev got to spend some time with her youngest grandsons, but also enjoyed the time she spent with Rachel who was like a younger sister.

Bev moved twice more and the one last time to the Arbors Assisted Living in Canton. While she was surrounded by people of her age, she really enjoyed the solitude of being by herself doing needlepoint or stitchery of some type, working puzzles and reading in her chair, all the while “looking at the back of her eyelids” with a good book in her lap.

By this time she was beginning to feel her age and she wondered like most people of her age why the good Lord was keeping her around. She was feeling more tired and life was becoming more of a struggle with her eyesight and hearing failing. Then it happened, what is Covid? What do you mean a pandemic? Why do I need a mask? Why do I have to wash my hands so much?

Sometime in the latter part of October it became a reality. She was stricken with this deadly virus. The nurses and doctors of Northside Cherokee did their best, but it wasn’t enough. We are grateful for the wonderful care she was given. On her last day we, her children witnessed the nurse stroke her hair, and tell her that her children were just on the other side of the glass door.

While she slipped away she left us to the open arms of all who had gone on before her. Again she was with her family, her husband and her oldest son. We miss you mom, dad and brother but we will see you again.

Love always, your children, Norma and Larry Ford, Dean, James and Rhonda, Tim, daughter in law, Sandra Stewart; Grandchildren, Matt and Katie Stewart, Christina and Sean Wallace, Tyler and Erica Ford, Cullen Stewart, Chase Stewart and his fiancé, Bre Broadnax; Great-grandchildren, Jolie Ford, Rileigh Palmer, Danny Palmer, Aiden Ford, Noelle Ford and Aubrie Stewart.