"Death is a joyful messenger of peace whose kind hands open to the weary, pilgrim the gates of immortality, and the oppressed go free."

These gates opened to Mrs. Zelma Lee Beavers, on Thursday, January 9, 2020, at her home in Lyman at the age of 85.  Mrs. Zelma Lee Thompson Beavers was born November 7, 1934 in Smith County, Mississippi to the late Lamar Thompson and Mattie Sims Thompson Norris in Louin, Mississippi. She attended school in Smith County and eventually earned her GED from Jeff Davis Junior College (now Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College) in Biloxi.  She was united in holy matrimony to the late Jimmie Beavers on August 16, 1951.  Upon relocating to Gulfport, she united with Allen Chapel AME Church in Lyman, where she was active in the Mission as a teacher, helped prepare Communion and was a member of the Food Service Committee.   At the time of her demise she was a member of Family Worship Center, where she was faithful in attendance, until her health began to fail.

Mrs. Zelma Beavers was devoted to her family, friends, community and church and touched many lives.  She was employed with Harrison County Head Start for several years, until she obtained her Certified Nursing Assistant License from Jeff Davis Community College.  This accomplishment allowed her to gain employment at the Veteran's Administration Medical Center, where she retired after 29 years of service, having worked at both the Gulfport and Biloxi Division.

Mrs. Zelma Beavers was preceded in death by her parents, Lamar and Mattie Sims Thompson; her husband, Jimmie Beavers; and four siblings, Sandy Thompson, Willie Thompson, Edison Thompson and Bessie Herbert.

As a loving mother, grandmother, great-grand mother, sister, mother-in-law, aunt, cousin and friend, she leaves to treasure her memories, her children: two sons, Wesley (Brenda) Beavers and James (Theresa) Beavers, both of Gulfport, Mississippi, and three daughters, Deborah (Joseph, Jr.) Brown, of Gulfport, Mississippi,  Danis (SGM Iules, Jr.) Patton of Evans, Georgia and Phyllis (Stepfon) Cooper of Charlotte, North Carolina; her siblings: Lamar Thompson, Jr., Milton Thompson and Lee Etta Thompson, of Joilet, Illinois, Rev. Dr. Bennie C. Thompson, of Gulfport, Mississippi, Eugene Thompson of Little Rock, Arkansas, and Michael Thompson of Washington, D.C.; eight grandchildren; Daphne Freeman, Dana Buckhalter, Jonathan Patton, Tavia Nance, Laila Haynes, Demetrich Goodman, and Brittany and Sherry Beavers; ten great-grandchildren:  Isabella and Olivia Freeman, Jasmine and Devin Buckhalter, Chris Goodman, Tyler White, Destiny Pierce, Kameron Bolden, and Ryleigh and Tayla Lynch; and a host of other nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.