of Searcy, AR
October 3, 1945 - April 16, 2025
Elizabeth Kennemer Wilson was born on October 3, 1945 to Andrew Timotheus Kennemer and Flora Robertson Kennemer in Athens, Alabama. Her father was a sharecropper. In addition, he held a variety of jobs to provide clothing, shelter, and food for his family of six girls. After his youngest child, Elizabeth, was born, Mr. Kennemer gave up trying to have boys to help with the farming. Mr. Kennemer had no choice but to put the six girls to work to help provide income for the family. Elizabeth did her share of cotton picking, snapping beans, and other farming chores growing up.
Beth was active and popular in school and became Miss East Limestone High in 1963. President of FHA, Beta Club member and Valedictorian filled out her resume. Mrs. Thomas, her Home Economics Teacher, was key to her applying and being admitted to the University of Alabama. Amongst the U of Alabama Home Economics Faculty, she was known as Argent Courington Thomas's girl. Her parents were worried about Beth's leaving home but did not prevent her. On the first night there, her roommate called Ed and asked him to take her out to prevent her from being left alone in the dorm.
Beth was a beautiful woman with a strong moral core who loved the Lord and her family intensely. After two years of dating Ed, they were married August 28, 1965. After graduation, Beth with a BS and MS in Home Economics and Ed with an MS and PhD in Chemistry, they moved to the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, where Beth worked as a Clinical Dietitian at the University of Virginia Hospital while Ed spent two years as Postdoctoral researcher in the University of Virginia Department of Chemistry. While in Charlottesville, Beth and Ed attended the Rugby Avenue Church of Christ and became close friends with the preacher, Bob McReady, and his family. They visited all over the State whenever there was a Gospel Meeting.
In 1970, Ed's first job was at Harding University as a teacher in the Department of Physical Science. A year later, Beth accepted a position at Harding University as a teacher in the Department of Home Economics. Beth planned to work for only one year to pay off a down payment loan on the new house they bought. However, she continued to work at Harding for 46 more years! She rose to the position of Department Chair upon retirement of Dr. Mildred Bell in 1984. While teaching full time at Harding, Beth attended graduate school at Memphis State University and graduated in 1991. Beth's life was founded on the simple principles of love of God, love of family, service to all. She was at every event for her husband and her daughter even while in graduate school in Memphis. Her young daughter and husband drove her over to Memphis twice a week and went to the various Memphis malls, museums, and sites of interest while she attended classes. Beth won Harding's Distinguished Teaching Award twice during her career and was loved and respected by many of her students. She retired in 2017 and promptly went to work as a volunteer at College Church of Christ's His House and continued to serve on the board and as a volunteer worker at the White County Domestic Violence Center. Her devotion to serving her family, her students, and her community was apparent to all.
Her daughter Stephanie Joy came into the world in 1971 and was truly the joy of her mom's life. She served as a softball coach, soccer mom, and ultimate fan of all that Joy did. It was obvious that she considered Ed and Joy to twin pinnacles of her life. In later years, the family would take many long driving trips in the summer and Beth spent all year planning and saving so that we could all do and see anything of interest to us without worries of cost or time. She loved being surrounded by God's beautiful natural wonders even when she was terrified of the heights through which we drove. Her enthusiasm for the time we spent as a family together telling stories, making jokes and memories, and seeing new places was unbounded.
She passed from this world to the next during the night of April 16, 2025 after a year of one medical complication after another. She survived by her Husband, Edmond Wilson, of Searcy, daughter, Stephanie Joy Wilson, of Murfreesboro Tennessee, and two older sisters, Louise Woodfin of Florence, Alabama, Naomi Abernathy of Athens, Alabama. Three sisters, Maycelle Smith of Athens, Alabama, Imogene James of Florence, Alabama, and Bonnie Reeves of Rogersville, Alabama preceded her in death.
To order a DVD copy of this video memorial, please contact our funeral home at + 15012683546.
Sign Guestbook
7 Condolence(s)
Shellee Smith
Friday, April 18, 2025
I still can't believe Aunt Elizabeth is gone. She seemed to take all the illness and suffering in stride with a wonderful attitude. Heaping praise on her husband for the way he cared for her and how his actions impressed and inspired employees of her health facility. To say "Joy" was the joy of her life is truly an understatement. What a wonderful family she and Ed created! Joy is a true reflection of the caring woman that Elizabeth was. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her! I look forward to a family reunion in Tennessee and or Alabama for hugs and comfort and memories of Aunt "Liz".
Jan Morgan
Friday, April 18, 2025
Ed and Joy, I am praying for you to have peace knowing Beth is in God’s hand! She was a great leader at Harding University!
My husband and I offer our deepest condolences!
Crystal Whittington
Thursday, April 17, 2025
My heart feels heavy hearing of this loss. I’d like to offer my deepest condolences, gratitude and love.
Dr. Wilson helped shape me as a student, a professional and as a woman. I’m so thankful to have been given the gift of her mentorship and friendship. I attribute any strength I had as a professional to lessons I learned from her and Mrs. Crockett.
I saw her volunteer countless hours for professionals in our state through her workshops, conferences and educational roles as well as serving on numerous boards and committees. Hope Cottage wouldn’t be what it is today had it not been for her long suffering dedication to the beautiful work that is done for the survivors in our state. Having worked so closely with her for a period of time I was given the unique opportunity to see just a fraction of the behinds the scene ministries and time she sacrificed to help others. She was courageous and fierce in her efforts to protect woman and children. She advocated for students and faculty as the leader and department chair for decades. She was a great comfort to me in times of grief and personal losses. I am forever grateful to have been loved by her.
Most of us have one area of specifically in the field of FCS. And while there are benefits in specializations, there has always been a unique strength to the generalists in our body. Dr. Wilson’s amazing breadth of knowledge and her ability to weave our professions together highlighted the cohesiveness of FCS and the importance we each have to strengthen individuals and families in different facets.
She truly was the embodiment of what our founders had in mind when they imagined “Home Economists”.
Over the years when I’ve read across this quote from Mr. Roger’s, Dr. Wilson consistently has come to mind:
“If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”
She made the world a better place and will be so dearly missed.
Linda Tucker
Thursday, April 17, 2025
So sorry to hear of Beth’s passing. She was a wonderful friend and will leave a big hole in the Family and Consumer Science profession. Prayers for her family.
Suzanne and Chuck Jones
Thursday, April 17, 2025
Dr. Wilson was a very special lady. She was a friend and colleague. Her impact and dedication to the Family and Consumer Sciences profession is evident both in Arkansas and Nationally. She is loved by many and will be greatly missed. She served our Lord in words and deeds and I know she is rejoicing in His presence.
Don Smith
Thursday, April 17, 2025
I’m so sad to have lost my Aunt Elizabeth. My deepest sympathy goes to all of my family, especially Ed and Joy. Ed had a remarkable wife and Joy a remarkable mother. Her memory will be with us and I hope it’s a great comfort in these troubling times.
Anthony zirbel
Thursday, April 17, 2025
So sorry, we knew she had been sick for a while and hadn’t got to see any of yall for 2 years I think, just know we are praying for GODS HAND of comfort upon yall these next hours, days and coming weeks, may GOD, bless comfort and sustain you throughout