Ida Gene Doughty Beaty, died Monday, December 16, 2024, in Columbus. Visitation will be held on Friday, December 20 at 1:00 p.m. at Fairview Baptist Church in Columbus, followed by a life celebration service at 2:00 p.m. An interment service will follow at Friendship Cemetery in Columbus.

Gene was born in Northport, AL in 1923 – the eighth of nine children born to Bruce and Hazie Ayres Doughty. She moved with her family to Columbus at a young age, then later attended and graduated from S.D. Lee High, where she played trumpet in the marching band. She married Lavert Beaty in 1942 and remained stateside during his service during World War II. After Lavert's discharge from the U.S. Army in 1944, they settled in Columbus and began to raise a family.

Gene worked her first job in the family business at Doughty Furniture Company of Columbus. She later worked at Belk-Hudson as a bookkeeper and then became head cashier at Mississippi University for Women in the comptroller/business office for almost 30 years. Upon retirement, she was delighted to travel with her husband and spend time with her growing family. Among her favorite activities were regular trips to Florida's Gulf Coast to vacation with her sisters and their husbands.

She was a long-time member of Fairview Baptist Church, where she was actively involved in Pat Wallace's Sunday School class and the 55+ group. Gene was also a member of the Columbus Rebekah Lodge #32 IOOF. She very much enjoyed entertaining friends and dancing with her sweetheart whenever she could.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, James Lavert Beaty, her parents, five sisters (Rochelle, Brucie, Alice, Mary Nell, and Dena) and three brothers (Orus, Bill and John).

She is survived by her daughters Jamie Luecke of Columbus and Malinda Fudali of Anchorage, AK; son Jim (Marquita) Beaty of Starkville; nine grandchildren, 19 (soon to be 20) great grandchildren, and one (soon to be two) great-great grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Ashton Hill, Dylan Hill, Dale Hill, Henry Martin, Michael Packard and Nathanael Packard.

The family wishes to thank the staff at Windsor Manor nursing care facility of Columbus for their friendship and compassionate care during Gene's brief residence there. Memorials may be made to Fairview Baptist Church of Columbus, MS or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.