Elizabeth Barron Auld "Bep" Mcelwee

CHESTER: Elizabeth Barron Auld “Bep” McElwee , beloved wife of Joseph Monroe McElwee (Joe), died peacefully at home surrounded by her loving family. Married for almost 61 years, Joe and Bep are the parents of three daughters and a son: Louise McElwee Brown and husband Mike of Lake City, SC; Joseph Monroe McElwee, Jr. and wife Sheryl of Anderson, SC; Elizabeth McElwee Daly and husband Chris of Richmond, VA; and Ann McElwee McCrorey and husband Matt of Richburg, SC.Bep and Joe have also been blessed with eleven grandchildren, and Gans was the loving grandmother to all of them:Michael Brown and his wife Jolie; Will Brown and his wife Jessie; Elizabeth Brown; Barron Voskuil and her husband Ryan; Tripp McElwee and his fiancé Eliza; Anna McElwee; Margaret McElwee; Christopher Daly; Mary Lapsley Daly; Garrison McCrorey, and Madison McCrorey. Bep and Joe were eagerly awaiting the upcoming births of their first two great-grandchildren. Bep was born on February 14, 1934, in Charlotte, NC to Louise Wilson Barron Auld and Charles Upham Shepard Auld of York, South Carolina. Raised on East Liberty Street in York, she completed her education in the York Schools, married Joe in 1954, and graduated from Winthrop College in 1955. After moving to Chester, South Carolina in 1969, she taught English in the local schools for twenty-three years until she became a grandmother and chose to make that a full-time career. Both Bep and Joe have been life-long members of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, and their devotion to the church led to their meeting and courtship. After moving to Chester, she served actively in the Chester ARP Church for 48 years, teaching Sunday School, teaching Bible School, overseeing the church’s nursery, serving in the Women of the Church, and serving as a founding member of the Esther Strong Circle. In addition to nurturing her family, Bep relished spending time in her yard, where gardening and bird-watching brought her delight. When she was not working in her flower beds, she and Joe loved exploring the mountains and traveling to remote states where they could appreciate the wildlife and flora of the region. She and Joe cherished, most of all, the years that God gave them together. Active in her community, Bep was a member of the Variety Study Club and the Thursday Afternoon Bridge Club, where she enjoyed spending time with friends. The service will be 11:00 AM Thursday, February 26, 2015 at the Chester Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church withDr. Dwight Pearson and Rev. Clint Davis officiating.Burial will follow at Hopewell ARP Church Cemetery.The family will receive friends anytime at their home, 160 Walnut Street, Chester, SC 29706. Memorials may be made to the Chester ARP Church, PO Box 174, Chester, SC 29706. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.barronfuneralhome.com.