Bea Mayhew

Bertha “Bea” D. Mayhew, 92, of Grand Island, passed away on Friday, July 31, 2020, at CHI St. Francis Skilled Care. Service will be 10:30 AM, Tuesday, August 4, 2020 at St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Grand Island with Reverend Bill Pavuk officiating. Bea’s service will be live streamed on St. Pauls Lutheran Church’s Facebook page. Burial will follow at the Grand Island City Cemetery. A visitation will be held from 5 PM to 7 PM Monday August 3, 2020 at Apfel Funeral Home. Due to Covid-19 concerns, attendees will be required to wear a mask and asked to maintain social distancing guidelines. Memorials are suggested to the St. Pauls Lutheran Church. Apfel Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Bea was born on February 23, 1928 in Centerville, IL to Joseph and Maude (Cooper) Boyle. She graduated from Dupo High School. From there she was employed by the Federal Reserve Bank in St. Louis, MO for three and a half years while she took classes at Meramec College in St. Louis, MO. She later was employed by Inter-City Manufacturing Company in St. Louis as the personnel manager for 23 years. She retired from Inter-City and moved back to Grand Island to be closer to family.

After living in Grand Island for six months she started Island Ice Cream, a food truck business. She closed the ice cream truck after four and half years to be able to travel. Nine years into living in Grand Island she met and married Ray Mayhew. After meeting Ray, she worked in the office at Mayhew signs as needed.

While living in St, Louis she as a volunteer for Jerry Lewis Telethon, Life Skills, Christ Memorial Lutheran Church, Municipal Opera. After moving to Grand Island, she enjoyed volunteering at St. Francis Hospital, Edith Abbot Library, YWCA, on boards of Project Hunger, Newcomer’s club of Grand Island, Advisory Committee of Salvation Army, Cosmopolitan Club of Grand Island and the Nebraska State Fair. She was an officer and member of the International Training in Communications, and a member of St. Pauls Lutheran Church.

Bea enjoyed music-singing and dancing, cooking, baking, and believed that you will make friends if you are a friend.

She is survived by her husband, Ray Mayhew of Grand Island; children, Charlene (Alan) Lepler of Grand Island, NE, Brad (Mitzi) Meyer of Colleyville, TX and Julie (Jeff) Thomas of Asheville, NC; seven grandchildren; and eight great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers: Joseph, Robert and Clarence; sisters: Arvilla Schmelter and Hazel Pierce.