Beulah May Shank

Beulah M. Shank

Beulah May Shank, 87, a resident of Crestwood, passed away on Wednesday, December 21, 2011, at Rockingham Memorial Hospital. Mrs. Shank was born on March 10, 1924, in Beckley, West Virginia, and was the only daughter of the late Robert Anderson Brady and Annie Elizabeth Karnes Brady.

She was a homemaker and over her lifetime, raised 33 foster children in her home. After she married in 1941, she and her husband moved to Denbigh, Virginia, where they lived until returning to the Greenmount community in 1951. She had been a resident of the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community since 1999. Mrs. Shank was a member of Greenmount Church of the Brethren where she was actively involved with the Busy Bees. On June 10, 1941, she married Leonard "Sandy" Shank who preceded her in death on February 22, 1999. Surviving are three children, Leonard Shank Jr. and his wife, Esther May, of Harrisonburg, Melvin James "Jim" Shank and his wife, Dawn, of Charlottesville, and Joyce Shank Jellum and her husband, Robert "Bob" of Harrisonburg; a foster child raised in her home, Patsy Nesselrodt; 12 grandchildren, Richard Shank, Steven Shank, Bruce Shank, Krista Rodes, Kara Davis, Jeremy Shank, Laura Miller, Lisa Copeland, Lisa Zimmerman, Lynn Timmons, Erik Jellum and Nathan Jellum; and 26 great-grandchildren. Along with her husband, Mrs. Shank was preceded in death by a son, John Robert Shank who passed away on March 31, 1995. Pastor Ken Dolan will conduct a funeral service 11 a.m. Saturday, December 24, 2011, at the Greenmount Church of the Brethren. Interment will follow at Greenmount Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 until 8 p.m. Friday, December 23, 2011, at McMullen Funeral Home in Harrisonburg. Memorial contributions may be made to the Greenmount Church of the Brethren, 4881 Greenmount Road, Harrisonburg, VA 22802. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.mcmullenfh.com.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.