Elma Beaty

Elma Lorene Beaty of San Antonio formally of Pilot Point passed away Thursday, December 1, 2011 at the age of 85. Elma was born to Luther Hunt Coker and Maggie Delena Coker on September 20, 1926 on a farm near Pilot Point. She was very ill during the first 15 months of her life but survived and lived an active and full life. She excelled in school and graduated from high school in 1940 at the age of 14. At the start of WWII Elma joined the workforce and became one of over one-million "Rosie the Riveter." She worked for the railroad as a "signalman" traveling around the country as far away as California. Later she worked on an aircraft production assembly line helping make the famous B-17, "Flying Fortress" and the B-24, "Liberator" bombers. Following the war, Elma returned to Pilot Point where she worked as a nurse in a local clinic until February, 1958 when she married her long time boyfriend, Buster Walling Beaty. Buster a native of Tioga and a WWII veteran was working as an accountant for an international oil company. They immediately hit the road traveling to exotic places like Midland, Odessa, and Fort Worth. While living in Fort Worth, Buster and Elma had their first son, David Kent Beaty, and four year later a second son, Alan Keith Beaty was born in Oklahoma City. The Beaty family lived in Oklahoma City until 1989, when they moved to Northern California. Shortly after the move to California, Elma became a grandma. Elma was present for the birth of her first grandchild, a girl, Delena in January, 1991. In 1993 Elma and Buster relocated to Tokyo, Japan, followed by a move to the Pacific Island of Guam. While living on Guam Elma witnessed the birth of her second granddaughter, Alyne Kirstin Beaty. In 1997 Elma and Buster relocated to San Antonio. Elma is survived by her sons, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel, Alan Keith Beaty, and wife Kim of San Antonio; and David Kent Beaty of Wichita KS; granddaughters, Delena Lorene Beaty-Smith of San Antonio, TX and Alyne Kirstin Beaty of San Antonio, plus one great-granddaughter, Shaelyn Ellane Smith also of San Antonio, TX. Elma was preceded in death by her mother Maggie Elena Coker; her father, Luther Hunt Coker, one brother Basil Coker, her husband, Buster Walling Beaty, and one niece, Harriet Lorene Coker-Whitley. Funeral services for Elma are scheduled for Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at Huff/Slay Funeral Chapel in Pilot Point. A visitation is scheduled for Saturday, December 10, 2011 starting at 10:00 a.m. Burial will follow the service in Pilot Point Community Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Huff / Slay Funeral Home. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Elma Beaty please visit our Sympathy Store.