MRS. CLAUDEAN MAE BEACHAM FOLTZ, age 89, of Houston, Texas, formerly of Hattiesburg, passed away suddenly on Monday morning, April 22, 2002, in Danville, California.

Mrs. Foltz was born in Centralia, Illinois, on March 4, 1913, the only child of Alexina Allen Beacham and Claude Beacham.

Her maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. John Bangs Allen of Cleveland, Ohio, were instrumental in her early upbringing and instilled within young Claudean a love for her family heritage, as well as the finer things in life. Through her grandfather Allen, she was descended from the earliest settlers of The Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, and the Allen's of Old Deerfield, Massachusetts.

Mrs. Foltz attended the Centralia public schools, where she graduated with honors. In the fall of 1931, she entered Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, where she pledged the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. Because of the Great Depression, she withdrew from school, returned to Centralia to work for the Woolworth Company.

On October 9, 1933, she secretly married her sweetheart and fellow student at Illinois Wesleyan, David Baron Foltz, the youngest son of Rev. and Mrs. M.C. Foltz, the local Methodist minister. To this union were born three children Barbara Jan in 1940, Claudean Elizabeth (Betsy) in 1950, and David Baron (Mike) Foltz, Jr. in 1953.

Mrs. Foltz' greatest focus was her family and home, and she spent her entire adult life devoted to the love, support, and advancement of her husband and children. Dr. Foltz' distinguished career as a collegiate choral director took the family from Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and ultimately, Mississippi, where Dr. Foltz retired in 1977 as Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Southern Mississippi. In 1978-79 he returned to serve as acting Dean of the USM College of Fine Arts. As one former colleague expressed it, "Claudean's personal qualities of character , impeccable taste, and gracious to all, provided a social dimension which complimented all University endeavors...She was truly a grand lady."

Upon the passing of Dr. Foltz in 1992, Mrs. Foltz and her daughter, Betsy, moved to Houston to be near her son, David Jr., and his family. Mrs. Foltz was a member of Main Street United Methodist Church, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, the E.M. Chapter of the International P. E. O. Sisterhood, Wichita, Kansas, and the Mississippi Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

She is survived by son and daughter-in-law, David Baron Jr. and Beth Monroe Foltz of Houston daughters Barbara Jan Foltz Cowen and husband Dr. George David Cowen, and Claudean Elizabeth "Betsy" Foltz of Danville, CA five grandchildren Dr. Susan Katharine Cowen and husband Todd Bell of Walnut Creek, CA, Elizabeth Bryce Cowen, Esq. of New Orleans, LA, David Baron cowen of Danville, CA, Sarah Elizabeth Foltz and Katherine Alexina Monroe Foltz of Houston, TX.

Source: Hattiesburg American {MS}
Date: April 30, 2002
Submitted by: Cindy Ford