In the quiet city of Roanoke, Virginia, the life of a 93-year-old woman named Margaret F. Beard came to a peaceful close in June of 2013. A lifelong resident of the area, she had spent her years as a dedicated employee of Blue Cross and Blue Shield and as an active member of the Garden City Grace Brethren Church. Her passing, after a brief illness, was a source of mourning for her family, including her three sons, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Her life was one filled with the simple joys of a green thumb, the creativity of an artist and craftsman, and the love of her family. Her obituary painted a picture of a woman known for her playful wit and sense of humor, who found solace and community in her church. There was no indication of any unnatural circumstances surrounding her death, and no reports of any investigation, arrests, or suspects. Her final arrangements were handled with the care and respect befitting a long life lived, with a funeral service at Lotz Funeral Home and burial at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens.
While the request for a story of a suspicious death, of arrests and suspects, is compelling, the narrative of Margaret F. Beard of Roanoke is one of a life that ended not in violence or mystery, but in the quiet dignity of old age. The public record speaks only of a woman well-loved by her family and community, whose passing was a natural conclusion to a long and full life. The search for a more tumultuous tale surrounding her name in this Virginia city finds no purchase in the documented facts of her life and death.
