Deacon James Beal, Jr. better known as "Happy" of 1904 Dorris Street, Cordele, Georgia died Sunday,  May 22, 2022 at the Crisp Regional Hospital in Cordele, Georgia.

The funeral service will be held Saturday, May 28, 2022 at 11:00 AM at the A. S. Clark Auditorium on the M. D. Whitest Medical Institute Campus in Cordele, Georgia.  The burial will follow at Macedonia Church Cemetery, Drayton Community, Vienna, Georgia.  Everyone in attendance is asked to please wear a mask and to practice social distancing.

A Time to Be Born

James was born April 15, 1933 to Reverend James R. Beal and Luella Campbell Beal in Dooly County, Georgia. He was a grandson of Frank & Mary Cartwright Beal and a great grandson of Henry & Eve Beal and Abraham & Julia Field Massey.  He was the second born of ten siblings.

A Time to Learn

Happy received his childhood education in the Crisp County, Georgia School      System and Gillespie Selden Institute.

A Time to Worship

Happy was baptized at an early age at Macedonia Baptist Church in Drayton, Dooly County, Georgia. Later in life, he moved his membership to New Oak Grove Baptist Church in Cordele, Georgia. A dedicated and active member, he participated in the Gospel Ensemble and the Male Chorus. A New Oak Grove pioneer, he was the oldest deacon and was often heard saying, "I built this church!"

A Time to Love Build Family Ties

Happy met his first love Patience Tolbert during high school and they married in 1953.  Happy and Patience were blessed with 13 children, eight sons and five daughters.  Their first born died before his first birthday and the second born child was a still birth. After the death of Patience, Happy married Isabella Jones and    became the father figure to her seven children.

A Time to Work

Happy learned the brick masonry trade while studying at Gillespie-Selden. He perfected his knowledge and skills under the guidance of Mr. Sylvester Phillips. After receiving the recognition as a Master Mason, Happy became an Independent Master Mason.  He also worked in farming.

A Time for Hobbies

Happy enjoyed gardening and fishing. Playing Bid Whist and Spades and socializing with family and friends were also things he enjoyed.

Loved Ones Who Preceded Happy

He is preceded in death by two wives: Patience Tolbert Beal and Isabella Jones Beal; two children: Joseph Beal and Wanda Lewis and three other children; his great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, two sisters: Christine Beal and Beatrice Beal Annan and three brothers: John Frank Beal, Elijah Beal, and Marion (Melvin) Beal.

A Time To Rest

The Lord has called Happy for a time of rest, he leaves to mourn his passing 17 children, Mrs. Fannie Beal Harvey (Charles) of Tallahassee, Florida, Mr. James Beal Jr. (Mae) of Cordele, Georgia, Mrs. Bertha Beal Carnes of Petersburg, Virginia, Mr. Alvin Beal (Gale) of Cordele, Georgia, Mr. Nathaniel Beal, (Sharon) of Warner Robins, Georgia,  Mrs. Avis Beal Fasuyi (Francis) of Syracuse, New York,  Mr. Donald Beal, Mr. Herman Beal  of Cordele, Georgia, Mr. Robert Beal (Gwen), Mr. Scottye Beal (Dasha) of Villa Rica, Georgia, Ms. Jacqueline Beal  of Tallahassee, Florida, Mr. Chris Brown of Cordele, Georgia, Mr. Lorenzo Jones, Mrs. Alethea Askew, Mrs. Lorethea Coley, and Reverend Deon (Cynthia) Jones of Cordele,  Georgia and Mrs. Bose (Ralph) Lanade of Ooltewah, Tennessee; 45 grandchildren; 66 great grandchildren; six great, great grandchildren.  He also leaves to mourn his passing four sisters, Ms. Ruby Beal of Syracuse, New York, Ms. Mary Beal, and Ms. Vesta Beal Shephard of Cordele, Georgia and Mrs. Dell Ford Jordan of Syracuse, New York; one brother, Mr. Jimmy Beal of Fairburn, Georgia; one aunt, Mrs. Annie Lou Harris Beal; five sisters-in-law, Mrs. Theron Jones, Mrs. Jimmye Sorrye, Mrs. Nettie Merriweather, Mrs. Dorothy Tolbert, and Mrs. Kathleen Tolbert. The entire Fields, Massey, Campbell, Lamb (FMCL) Beal, Dunn, Tolbert, Lucas, and McKenzie families. He is also survived by Lonnie & Barbara Walker, Deacon Bobby Barner, Deacon Bud Law, Mr. Theodore Tolbert, Mrs. Alice (Sammy) Hill; his adopted son, Mr. Woodrow "Stack" Wilson, Jr. and several nieces, nephews, cousins, foster children, other relatives and friends.