With deepest sorrow we at Henryhand Funeral Home regret to announce the passing of Arleathia J. Beavers, 80, wife of Johnny Beavers, of Greeleyville, SC, who passed away on Monday, June 22, 2026.

All arrangements and professional services have been entrusted to Henryhand Funeral Home of Kingstree, SC. 843-354-2292

"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: But a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised."

Arleathia Mae was welcomed into the world on June 13, 1946 by her parents Susie and William McKinley Jones.  They made their home in Huntington Station, New York.  While still a baby, Arleathia lost her father, a decorated World War I veteran.  Her mother was fortunate to find love again and she married Henry Thomas Jackson Sr. Already the widowed father of two girls, Arleathia was welcomed again into a new family with older sisters, which included the niece of her dad.  She left this world for the next quietly on June 22, 2026.

Growing up on Long Island, New York Arleathia was very active in sports, girl scouts, her church youth group and family activities.  She performed on the rings in the Girls Squad gymnastics group in High School and participated in church choir (although she always maintained she couldn't really sing) and youth church trips.

After high school she matriculated at South Carolina State College in Orangeburg, South Carolina and remained a loyal "Bulldog" throughout her life.  Always a gifted seamstress, Arleathia chose home economics as her college major and minored in biological science.  As fate would have it, the one home economics teacher at each high school made finding a job in her field difficult.  She ended up teaching fourth grade and getting a Master of Education degree along the way.  Eventually she found her way to that elusive home economics high school position and loved working with students in food, clothing and health education units.

After college Arleathia married Jesse Wilson, Jr.  To this marriage, which ended in divorce, was born two sons.

Anyone who knows Arleathia knows that the true love and joy of her life was being mother to two wonderful, talented sons. Through all their musical and sports journeys Arleathia was always their biggest cheerleader and a ferocious mama bear if you dare mess with either of them. How excited she was that the oldest, Jesse III graduated from her alma mater, South Carolina State University where he played drums in the Marching 101.  She was equally proud of the younger son, Daren, a Winston Salem State University graduate, who recently returned to his high school (Georgetown HS) where the wrestling facilities were named in his honor for being the school's first statewide wrestling champion.

Arleathia loved learning about and sharing historical truths of the African diaspora and cherished her books on the subject.  Her museum visits took twice, maybe three times, as long as the usual visitor as she was determined to read every plaque and writing.

She also loved to travel. With her husband, Johnny Beavers, she explored Hemingway's Florida Keys. Other favorite trips included Namibia (Southwest Africa), the Greek Islands, Hawaii and the Caribbean.  She was equally happy exploring around Long Island and South Carolina – Myrtle Beach, Charleston and Edisto Beach. A dedicated train traveler, she has been from South Carolina to the west coast by train.

Left to cherish her memory is her husband, Johnny Beavers, her sons, Jesse Wilson III, and Daren M. Wilson, her granddaughters, Devinae and Alicia Rae, one great grandson, Christian, her sister Linda Jackson Jones, two young people special to her - Siera and Xavier, their mom Mara, her nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.  She was preceded in death by her parents William McKinley Jones, Bishop Henry Thomas Jackson, Susie Keels Jackson, her sisters/raised as sisters Pearl, Edwina, Carolyn, Deitra and her only brother Henry Thomas Jackson Jr.

"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." Psalm 116:15