Beulah Henley

Ava, MO

Beulah Doris (Vaughan) Sanders-Henley, daughter of John Vaughan and Dena McIntosh-Vaughan, was born July 20th , 1925 in Macomb, Missouri. She departed this life for her heavenly home on April 19th, 2009 due to illness.


She married Loren Sanders in 1942 and to this union had four children. Eddie, Karen, Steve & Joann. She later married Buford Henley in 1969 and became a Stepmother to Shirley and Calvin.


Beulah accepted Jesus as her Lord at the age of 17and she especially enjoyed going to church for many years at the Rock Church and other local churches and last attended at Gentry. Beulah enjoyed family gatherings, was very talented in tatting, knitting, crocheting and wood carving and gave many of her beautiful things as gifts to others. She was an avid reader and a great story teller. She worked many years at the shoe factory in Mansfield and Rawlings in Ava and was a Union Steward. She was also a Foster Parent and worked at the Library in Ava in her later years.

Beulah was preceded in death by her parents John & Dena Vaughan, her second husband, Buford Henley, three sisters, Alma Loveall-Garrison , Blanche Willis and Freda Slocum, one brother, Lester Vaughan, one son, Steve Sanders, one grandson, Doug Henley-Conley, one step-grandson, Kevin Tidwell and one step-granddaughter, Vicky Mann.

She is survived by three children, Eddie Sanders and wife Sharon of Ava, Missouri, Karen Conley and husband Bill of Mtn. Grove, Missouri, Joann Welker and husband Rod of Ava, Missouri, two step-children, Calvin Henley and wife Sue of Milam, Texas, Shirley Mann of Joplin, Missouri, nine grandchildren, Cindy Derritt of Lawrence, Kansas, Greg Sanders of Olatha, Kansas, Kitty Lane of Mtn. Grove, Missouri, Joe Conley of Mtn. Grove, Missouri, Tracey Faul of Oswego, New York, Kara Hodges of Peculiar, Kansas, Paul Sanders of Las Vegas, Nevada, Matt Welker, Seymour, Missouri and Erin Allen, Okmulgee, Oklahoma, one step-granddaughter, Charla Henley-Thompson of Arlington, Texas, one step-grandson, Rick Mann, Springfield, Missouri and five great-grandchildren, Alissa Lane, Shanna Lane, Alexis Derritt, Abbie Faul and Matthew Sanders and four great step-grandsons and a host of relatives and friends.


Beulah was a loving mother, grandmother, aunt and a good friend to many.She will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by all of those who knew and loved her.

Services for Beulah will be Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 3:00 p.m. at Clinkingbeard Funeral Home, Ava, MO with burial following in the Ava Cemetery. Officiating will be Rev. David Dodson. Visitation is Tuesday, April 21, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the funeral home.