Called to Serve

About the Book

Called to Serve is a biography about Gerald Austin Beasley and Clara Pauline Smith, my dad and mom. Both grew up in different rural areas of Oklahoma during the Great Depression on farms where they worked hard with their families. They met at Oklahoma A&M in Stillwater and then married after Dad was conscripted into the army. While Dad served in the European front during World War II, Mom taught school in rural southwest Oklahoma. After the war, Dad prepared for ministry; then served in churches of Christ in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, and Montana.

About the Author

I was born a church of Christ preacher’s kid. I married Dr. Michael Lewis, who has been a minister of the churches of Christ in various churches in Texas and now in Idaho. We have three grown children (Samantha, Shane, and Bradon) and three grandchildren (Emma and Clara Pearson and Bowen Lewis). I was an educator for fourteen years in Texas, first as a preschool teacher, then as an elementary special education paraprofessional. After completing a BA from Abilene Christian University in 2005 with specialties in music, art, and English, Michael and I, empty nesters, moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where Michael currently preaches at the Dalton Gardens church of Christ. I taught elementary special education for four years, but currently work in the Coeur d’Alene School District in a behavior program for kindergartners.