The Rebecca Beachy Felton Peace and Social Justice Scholarship Fund

Rebecca (Becky) Beachy Felton was born in Hutchinson Kansas on May 12, 1953 and lived her early years in Yoder, a small town south of Hutchinson.  She attended and graduated from Goshen College in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion and took a job working at the Goshen location of Provident Bookstores, a religious book store chain.  However, she soon moved to Souderton, PA to take on the role of one of Provident’s book buyers where she could pursue her love of books, religion, and peace and social justice issues. After marrying Jonathan (Jon) Felton in 1979, she continued her career at Provident Bookstores into the early 1990s when she resigned to spend more time with her two young children.

During the next twenty years Becky concentrated on her family, church and volunteer work and was a persistent advocate for peace and justice issues and concerns.  It was at this time that she was also deeply involved at Perkasie Mennonite Church, serving as the assistant administer and carrying many various church committee assignments and responsibilities.  Becky was also involved in numerous charitable causes outside of the church which included:  The Peace and Justice Committee of Franconia Conference of Mennonite Church USA, the Pennridge FISH Organization, the Patchwork Coffee House, Faith and Light (a support group for handicap persons) and Care and Share Thrift Shoppes Bookstore.  In addition she supported many international charitable organizations, both with financial gifts and through letter writing campaigns and advocacy.

Those who knew her well described Becky as a champion of peace and justice, at peace with God and at peace with others.  As her son Cody Felton said at her memorial service “God doesn’t pick winners or losers or whom to heal or not heal but through prayer, God helped my mom be at peace with her friends, family and death.”  Becky passed away peacefully November 2, 2012 after a courageous struggle with cancer.  On the day of her funeral she was the recipient of the 2012 Peace Mug Award by the Franconia and Eastern District Mennonite Church conferences.  She was survived by Jon, her husband of 33 years, and two children, Cody and Torey.