EL DORADO — Beulah Lee Campbell Thomas,
98, died on Monday, January 8, 2024. She was born to Francis Ephraim Campbell and Gladys Irene McCormick Campbell on February 22, 1925, in the community of Mount Comfort, just outside Fayetteville, Ark.
Beulah’s growing-up years were split between time spent on her grandparents’ farm in Mount Comfort and in the town of Fayetteville, where she graduated from high school after being named Fayetteville High Homecoming Queen of 1942. She was a beautiful girl, inside and out.
After graduating, she entered the University of Arkansas, where she majored in business. She made friends there that she would keep for the rest of her life. To help put herself through school, she worked as a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell. She never lacked for dates, but the boy who won her hand was Floyd Thomas, a young man who came back to the University on the GI Bill following World War II. He had met her before he was called up and returned to Fayetteville asking about her. On June 12, 1947, they were married in the chapel of Central United Methodist Church in Fayetteville.
Her career as a homemaker began. Their first child was born in 1949, and the 1950s were filled with the birth of of two more children and moving for Floyd’s career as a special agent for the FBI, to Missouri, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, then back to Missouri, and finally, in 1965, to El Dorado, Ark., where they lived for over 50 years. Beulah was a leader in her children’s activities, including Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, Sunday school classes, and church youth groups. She was a faithful member of Hawthorne Garden Club, First United Methodist Church women’s circles, and the Women’s Auxiliary at Warner Brown Hospital and South Arkansas Medical Center.
Her husband’s career took him away from home for extended periods of time and sometimes put him in dangerous situations, but from Beulah’s demeanor and actions, no one would ever know it. Her children always felt safe and secure. Her strong Christian faith caused her to lead by example. She didn’t so much tell her children how to behave as show them by her own behavior. She had one phrase that she repeated whenever dropping them off at a friend’s house or at any sort of social event: “Be nice and thank your host.”
She was not an influential person by society’s standards. She didn’t receive awards, commendations or trophies, but she had an influence beyond measure on her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, friends and acquaintances. They would all agree that she was one of the most gentle and kind people they have ever known.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” — Galatians 5:22. All of those qualities describe Beulah Thomas.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years; and by her sister, Phyllis Terhune.
She is survived by her two sons, Floyd (Rina) Thomas, Jr., and Frank (Sylvia) Thomas; one daughter, Melissa (Scott) Whitfield; eight grandchildren, Matt (Holly) Thomas, Lauren (Quin) Rogers, Greg (Abbey) Thomas, John (Tarryn) Thomas, Stephanie Thomas, Jessica (Matt) Lamagna, Adam Whitfield, Benjamin Whitfield; seven great-grandchildren, Taylor Thomas, Emma Thomas, Lily Thomas, Finley Thomas, Leah Thomas, James Thomas, Matteo Lamagna; and many special nieces and nephews.
Burial will be in Arlington Memorial Park in El Dorado at 10 a.m. on Friday, January 12, followed by a memorial service in the chapel of First United Methodist Church at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, 201 S. Hill Ave., El Dorado, Ark. 71730.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.youngsfuneralhome.com.