Beatrice Farley

Mary Aileen Beatrice Farley, born on a farm northwest of Pleasanton, August 30, 1908, passed away in Butler, Missouri on January 21, 2008. She was the daughter of Wiley Fletcher Long and Cora Etta (Peterson Long. Beatrice (known as Bea) grew up on a farm north of Mound City, Kansas, attending Mount Carmel Grade School and graduating from Pleasanton High School in 1927. She had one brother, Arthur, who preceded her in death. Her life-long ambition was to be a teacher. After graduating from high school she attended Pittsburg State College in Pittsburg, Kansas, earning her teaching certificate and then taught one-room country schools throughout Linn County for 12 years. She was a very talented teacher and influenced the lives of countless children during her teaching years and her "pie-supper" programs were well-known throughout the county. In March of 1934 Bea was united in marriage to Ben Lawrence Farley and they had three children. After her marriage and following her teaching career, Bea continued her professional life working for Linn County Farm Bureau, Head-Start, Bank of Pleasanton and Mangold Market in Pleasanton. She was very talented, creative, and musically inclined. Her passion, of course, was teaching and after her school teaching career ended with the birth of children, she began teaching Sunday School. She played the organ for church until she was in her 90's and presented speeches and programs around the area for organization and clubs. She had fabulous stories to tell of her youth, young married life and also about the early pioneer days of the county that had been passed down from her grandparents. She rode her horse, Cupid, 7 miles to high school through all kinds of weather and never missed a day or was tardy for 4 years. Also preceded her in death was her husband, Ben Farley in 1982; great-grandson, Matthew Jackson in 2004 and step grandson, Brad perkins in 2006. Survivors include: daughters, Lynda Perkins and husband, Ed, Butler, MO; Mary Coffman and husband, Gary, Butler, MO; son, David Farley and wife, Gayle, Shawnee, KS; granddaughters, Michal Long, Golden, CO; Lucretia Mason (Rick), Liberty, MO; Kimberly Wilcox (Duane), Shawnee, KS; Lona Grosshart, Los Angeles, CA; step-grandchildren, Renee Young (Terry), Wichita, KS; Doug Coffman (Cheryl) and Chip Coffman (Sherri), Pleasanton, KS; Monta Bode (Steve) Sanley, KS; nineteen great grandchildren and five great great grandchildren; Services will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, January 25, 2008 at the First Christian Church, Pleasanton, Kansas. Visitation will be from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, Thursday at the Coffel-Schneider Chapel, Pleasanton and also from 10:00 AM until service time at the church Friday. Contributions are suggested to the First Christian Church in lieu of flowers. Interment will be in Pleasanton Cemetery. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.coffelschneider.com Arrangements: Coffel-Schneider Funeral Home, Pleasanton, Kansas.