Friends recall woman as devoted to community
James Lewis Sr. knew Hattie Lee Beall as a great cook, someone involved in her community and a fanatic when it came to Harlem High School baseball.
"She was an avid fan of the Harlem baseball team," said the former mayor of Harlem. "You could always expect to see Hattie Lee there. I always teased her about coaching the game."
Hattie Lee Beall
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Bobby Culpepper, owner of Culpepper Ford in Harlem, recalls the longtime Harlem resident as a friend to his family and his workers.
"I grew up knowing her," he said. "As my dad became elderly and my mom passed away 10 years ago, she just took him on as a project to take care of him. She even made trays of Christmas candies and cookies for the guys here at the dealership."
Beall died Nov. 11 at age 77. Those who knew her said she left behind a lifetime of service to the people of Harlem, where she had lived since the 1940s.
"She was very involved in the community," Lewis said. "She was just so active."
Beall worked for many years as an employee of Hatcher Brothers Store in Harlem. She also was a member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) 1634 Thomson Chapter and the VSP Club of Harlem.
She had attended Mount Tabor Baptist Church for more than 50 yearsand was a member of Bath Presbyterian Church in Blythe.
But her specialty was always chicken and dumplings, Lewis said.
"She would cook chicken and dumplings for friends and the church," he said. "When I think of Hattie Lee, I think of a person - whether it was children, young folks or the senior citizens - that was always there when they needed her."
Culpepper said such hospitality was what Beall was all about.
"She just used her love of cooking and doing to take care of people," he said. "She will definitely be missed."
Beall's funeral was Tuesday at Mount Tabor Baptist Church. She is survived by her nieces and nephews.