Lois Beal

Lois U. Beal, age 107, of Greenville, formerly of Stanton, retired principal of Baldwin Heights Elementary School, passed away Friday, January 31, 2020 at Green Acres Assisted Living in Greenville. The daughter of Bart & Emma (Maxwell) Utterback, she was born on July 3, 1912 in Brimson, Missouri. Her life's work as an educator spanned nearly 50 years, with Lois beginning her teaching career at the age of 17 years. After graduating high school, she taught school and attended summer school, working towards her degree. In her senior year of college, she left teaching and attended college full-time. Lois came to Michigan after graduating from Northwest State College and taught in Saginaw for five years, then moved to Stanton where she taught at Stanton Rural Agricultural Elementary School for twelve years until accepting a position with Greenville Public Schools. In Greenville, she taught at Cedar Crest and Baldwin Heights until serving as building principal at Baldwin Heights for fourteen years. On July 29, 1942 she married Victor Clement Beal, who begin his career as the vocational agriculture teacher at Greenville Senior High School and later became Montcalm County's agricultural agent thru the U.S. Department of Agriculture and retired as the U.S.D.A.'s district crops and soils agent for Montcalm and Kent counties. While teaching and caring for her family, Mrs. Beal earned her Master's degree from Michigan State University and was a long-time member of the Traditional Congregational Church in Stanton, which later merged with the First Congregational Church of Stanton. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Victor Clement Beal, Sr.; a step-son, Dr. Victor C. Beal, Jr.; three sisters, Marie Doherty, Roberta F. "Bertie" Utterback, and Lorene F. Pederson; two brothers, Harmon Utterback and Vernon Utterback; and a niece, Karen Utterback. Survivors include a niece, DeAnna Phillips of Hillsboro, Oregon; two nephews, Michael Pederson of Edmonds, Washington., Mark Pederson of LaConnor, Washington; five grand nephews and three grand nieces; a special friend and caregiver, Marsha Sexton of Sidney, and her family; and several other dear friends and colleagues. Visitation is from 10-11 a.m. on Tuesday, February 4, 2020 at Christiansen's Michigan Cremation & Funeral Care, 511 S. Franklin Street, Greenville, where funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday. The Rev. Jamey Nichols, pastor of the First Congregational Church of Stanton, will officiate and burial will take place privately at Forest Home Cemetery. Instead of flowers, Mrs. Beal would have appreciated contributions in her memory to the Central Montcalm Community Foundation (http://cmcommunityfoundation.org/donate/) Envelopes will be available at the funeral home. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Lois Beal, please visit our flower store.