Beatrix M.A.

Jenny Beatrix Bea Blanton Ramey was born in Lattimore, NC on August 14, 1913 to Garva Ella Harrill Blanton and John Samuel Blanton. She was the oldest of seven brothers and sisters.
She was preceeded in death by her parents, her husband S. Arnold Ramey, three brothers- Jesse Miles Blanton who died at infancy; John S. Blanton Jr., Kenneth H. Blanton; a sister, Mary Annette Blanton Cline; and two sisters-in-law Louise Brown Blanton and Evelyn Gold Blanton. She is survived by a sister, Sarah Blanton Dedmon and husband Hal; two brothers- Harrill Lee Blanton Sr.and Robert Eugene Blanton, sister-in-law Elizabeth C. Blanton, and a brother-in-law T. Ray Cline, as well as many loving nieces and nephews. Special thanks go to her caregivers who treated her with such loving kindness and respect.
Bea graduated from Lattimore High School and attended Boiling Springs Junior College where she received an Associate Arts degree in Education in 1933. She later received her B.S. degree in Education and a M.A.degree in Elementary Education from Appalachian State University as well as a M.A. in Guidance Counseling from UNC Chapel Hill. She did postgraduate work at the University of Colorado.
Beatrix taught in the North Carolina Public School System before becoming a full time instructor at Appalachian. She supervised student teachers throughout western North Carolina. On May 30, 1958 she married Shirley Arnold Ramey. Arnold was a history professor at Catawba College. They shared many hobbies that included extensive research in the genealogy of their ancestors. The Rameys had two publications in the field of genealogy: "Cleveland County Marriages" and "1850 Cleveland County Census".
Bea retired from her position at Appalachian State in 1979 with the rank of full professor. The Board of Trustees granted her emeriti status in 1980. During her tenure at Appalachian, she served on the Faculty Senate, the Committee on Public Service, the Faculty Senate Student Welfare Committee, the Elementary Education Personnel Committee, and the North Carolina Association of Educators- Student Chapter which she also chaired. She dedicated much of her extra time to serving as an education consultant in various North Carolina counties. Bea also organized, evaluated, and taught extension courses and in-service workshops for teachers in the Charlotte, Gastonia, Lexington, Shelby, and Rutherfordton areas of North Carolina.
Professionally, Beatrix was affiliated with the National Education Association, the North Carolina Association of Educators, the Association of Teacher Education, the National Society for the Study of Education, and the National Education Association of Higher Education. She is listed in "Who's Who Among American Women".
In her retirment, Bea continued her genealogy hobby and her membership in professional organizations. She was secretary to the Board of Directors of the Cleveland CountyHistorical Association and was a Board Member of the Old Tryon Genealogical Society; she conducted seminars in genealogy in Rutherfor and Cleveland counties. Shel was a founding memberand served as regent for the Flint Hills Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Bea also maintained membership in the following groups: North Carolina Genealogical Society; North Carolina Museum of History Associates, Inc.; American Association of Retired Persons, North Carolina Retired School Personnel, State Employees Association of North Carolina, the Cleveland County Community Concert Association, and the editing committee of the Cleveland County and Rutherford County Heritage Books.
Bea returned to the family home in Lattimore after retirement and continued to live there until she died unexpectedly on September 24, 2007 at the age of 94. She died peacefully in the same room in which she was born. Bea was a member of Lattimore Baptist Church. She was driven by the desire to see the members of her family as well as others to be able to receive a higher education. She delighted in their achievements and always urged them to continue their education.