- Date Of Birth: November 11, 1947
- Date Of Death: March 9, 2019
- State: Texas
Anna Elizabeth (Beth) Loftus Cheatham was born November 11,1947 in Shreveport, Louisiana to John and Elizabeth Sims Loftus. She spent her early days in Stonewall, Louisiana where she grew up on a dairy farm. She milked cows before and after school with her father after her brother, Pat, left for college.
After graduating from Stonewall High School as valedictorian in 1965, she attended Louisiana Polytechnic Institute (Louisiana Tech), earning her BS in Business Education (1968) and MBA (1970). She did additional studies at North Texas State University, University of Texas, and Tarleton State University. She taught at North Side High School in Fort Worth for one year, and Tarleton State University for 3 years.
In the summer of 1973, while working as an intern at Getty Oil Company, she met John Cheatham, who became the love of her life. They married August 3, 1974, and moved to Belton, TX where she joined the faculty of Central Texas College and remained there 37 years. They raised their family in the Belton area, attending Keys Valley Baptist Church, where Beth was organist and a Sunday School teacher for many years.
Beth retired from CTC in 2011. After retirement, she and John travelled to many states by car and motorcycle. She chronicled her trips with pictures, leaving a legacy of memories. Some of her favorite places to visit were to see the grandkids playing sports or music, or just visiting and being Nana. Her family was the most important thing to her after her relationship with Jesus. One of her favorite mottos was JOY – Jesus, Others, Yourself.
She is survived by her husband of 44 1/2 years and two daughters Jennifer Lynn Galysh (John) and Elizabeth Anne Johnson (Willace); two grandsons, Ryder and Gunner; granddaughter Sophia; and brother Pat Loftus (Linda).
