IN LOVING MEMORY OF

Beatrice 'Bea'

Beatrice 'Bea' Flinner Profile Photo

Flinner

Feb 8, 1924 — Mar 1, 2019

Obituary

Beatrice Eileen Flinner, also known as Bea or Beetie, was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania on February 8, 1924 to Charles and Esther Jeffreys. She graduated from Uniontown Senior High School in 1941. Her first job was at Fayette National Bank. Bea gave her heart to the Lord at a very young age, and her goal was to live in the center of the will of God. There were times of discouragement, but she still attempted to put God first in everything she did. In 1944, Bea married 2nd Lt. Donald Allayaud in Selma, AL. Don had just received his commission as an Air Force pilot. At the end of September, 1944, he was shipped overseas to England. As a P47 Thunderbolt Fighter pilot, Dons first mission was as part of a bomber escort over Germany. As the planes were returning to England, Don radioed his Captain that his plane had been hit, and he was running low on gas. He was advised to try to land a short distance away. Records indicated he was most likely over France, but he was never heard from again. The Spring after Don was reported missing, Bea gave birth to their son, Donald Jr. (Donnie). Don Sr. had planned to hang the babys booties in his plane, but he never had the chance to know he had a son. A couple years later, Bea was introduced by her sister to a young man at a Young Peoples Convention in Pittsburgh. That man was Lyle Flinner, a dedicated Christian and military veteran who was attending college. After corresponding back and forth for 6 months, and finally meeting the Jeffreys family, Lyle and Bea were married on June 27, 1947. "Donnie" and Lyle bonded the first time they met, and Lyle always considered Donnie his son. In 1952, a daughter, Carol Jean, was born to the couple. Following Lyles college and seminary graduations, he and Bea pastored Nazarene churches on the Pittsburgh District in PA, until Lyle accepted a faculty position at Geneva College, his alma mater. After Lyle received his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, the family moved to Bethany, Oklahoma where both Lyle and Bea were employed by Bethany Nazarene College, now Southern Nazarene University. Bea started out as acquisitions librarian and, later, became reference librarian. In 1974, Bea graduated from BNC with a BA in Social Studies. She went on to earn a Master of Science in Library Science from the University of Oklahoma, and Masters of Art degrees in Social Studies and Early Childhood from SNU. Bea loved her work at SNU, particularly assisting students as reference librarian, and the students loved her. She was active on campus in a variety of capacities: sponsor for Cardinal Key for 12 years, participating in Mortar Board, and as a member of the Phi Delta Lambda Council for many years. In 1996, Bea retired from SNU as Associate Professor of Library Science and adjunct professor in the Early Childhood graduate program. In 2010, following Lyles death, Bea moved with Carol and Carols husband, Jim, to Indiana, then on to Ohio. She lived with them for several years, before moving into long-term care, where she passed away on Friday, March 1, 2019. Throughout her life, Bea loved music. Growing up, she and her sisters sang at church and on the radio. She was active as a pianist, organist, and choir director. In 1962, she received a Minister of Music Commission, which she retained until moving away from Oklahoma. Even when she was no longer able to sing or play an instrument, she would hum along whenever she heard music. Bea is survived by her son, Don Allayaud of Littleton, Colorado (wife - Kathy June); Carol Dorough of Mount Vernon, OH (husband - James Dorough, Sr.); grandson, James Dorough, Jr. of Houston, TX; granddaughter, Stefanie Morris of Ave Marie, FL (husband - Nathan Morris) and great-granddaughter - Magdalena Morris); sister, Juanita Cramer of Uniontown, PA.; and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Esther Jeffreys; two sisters, Evelyn Cooley and Ruth Barber; and one brother, Robert Jeffreys. Viewing will be Thursday, 9am-9pm at Mercer-Adams. Services will be Friday, March 8, 2:00pm at Mercer-Adams Chapel with interment in Bethany Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lyle and Bea Flinner endowed scholarship fund at Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, OK. Funeral Service Mercer-Adams Chapel Friday, March 08, 2019 2:00 PM 3925 N. Asbury Bethany, OK 73008 Viewing Thursday, 9am-9pm at Mercer-Adams.
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