Harriette Mathewes Beeson

Harriette Mathewes Beeson

Ann Arbor, MI

Harriette Mathewes Beeson passed away on Thursday, September 20, 2018 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with family close and the grace of the Episcopal Church offering her peace.

Harriette Mathewes Beeson was widely known as the owner, with husband Fred, of the beloved Memphis institution Burke's Book Store from 1984-2000. Her successful tenure at Burkes followed on a lifetime of accomplishments. She was a leader at East High School, a Phi Beta Kappa at Southwestern College (now Rhodes College) and was inducted into the Southwestern Hall of Fame. She won a Hickman travel fellowship in her junior year to travel to France and she was voted Miss Southwestern by her peers.

Harriette was a leader throughout her life, bringing both her smarts and her example to the jobs. She served in leadership positions in the Church of the Holy Communion, the Junior League, St. Mary's Episcopal School, Chi Omega Sorority, among others.

Harriette's success at keeping an independent bookstore vibrant and viable was enhanced by her natural grace and graciousness. In addition to running the purely business side of things, Harriette made Burke's a center of arts and letters by hosting book signings and other gatherings where she welcomed anyone and everyone, often with her homemade brownies. She had Memphis humming with the talk of a new John Grisham book signing with lines out the door and around the block. For their contribution to the community through Burkes, The Germantown Arts Alliance awarded Harriette and Fred an Arts and Humanities medal for their "Advocacy of Southern Letters" in 1998.

Behind Harriette's gentle and gracious nature, was a confident strength of character. She could surprise an unknowing person with a gentle but firm rebuke when she observed an injustice or other wrong. For example, she stood up lovingly and firmly for those with special needs such as Down syndrome. Her unfailing moral compass guided both her and those around her.

In the last stage of her life, dementia claimed Harriette's sharp mind. But, astonishingly, even in the final stage of dementia, her kindness, gentleness, and graciousness managed to shine through. The only words that came readily to her at the end were "thank you." Even those who only met her for the first time during that stage of her life could see something of her essential goodness.

Harriette will be missed by many including her beloved husband of 60 years, Fred Beeson, her daughters Anne Beeson Royalty and Meg Beeson Wallace, their husbands Bob and Jim, and her grandchildren Nolen and Ginna Royalty and Jack and Fred Wallace. She was predeceased by her sisters Milton Mathewes Embry and Patsy Mathewes Jehl and was the matriarch of a large clan of Mathewes cousins whom she loved and claimed as her own.

A Memorial for Harriette will be held at the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation in Ann Arbor Michigan on Friday, September 28 at 4:00pm and a Funeral and Internment of Ashes at Church of the Holy Communion Memphis, Tennessee on Saturday, November 10 at 2:30pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Episcopal Church of the Incarnation 3257 Lohr Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48108 or Church of the Holy Communion 4645 Walnut Grove Rd, Memphis, TN 38117.