Velma J. Hegarty, 90, of Lewisburg died Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014 at home. She was born March 26, 1923 in Clearfield, a daughter of the late Newton and Mary (Miles) Hegarty.
She served in the ministry for more than 50 years. She began with New England Fellowship as a rural Bible teacher in Vermont and New York. She then served as a city missionary in Patterson, NJ.
After that she became the New Hampshire State Director of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF). She was instrumental in establishing Camp Good News, an overnight camp, in New Hampshire, a camping program that has now spread across the entire world.
After serving in New Hampshire for several years, she became a member of a National Teacher Training Team for CEF National. She traveled throughout the United States teaching, speaking at conferences and helping others to reach children for Christ. She continued her service at the Calvary Baptist Church in New Hampshire as the Christian education director until returning to CEF in New Hampshire as director of education. Lastly, she retired in 2008 after serving as the associate director of Northumberland County of CEF of Eastern, Pennsylvania since 1990.
She attended the Lewisburg Bible Church. She loved her home and loved making it a place of comfort and love for others. She also enjoyed working in her flower and vegetable gardens and cooking. In addition, two of her favorite avocations were camping and traveling.
She is survived by her daughter, Joanie Fifield of Lewisburg and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by six sisters, Beatrice Litten, Erma Hegarty, Hazel Coon, Laura Nelson, Ruth McManus and Eileen McClafferty and two brothers, Miles and Donald Hegarty.
A brief committal service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Kevin A. Beardsley Funeral Home, Clearfield, with Pastor Roger Wenger officiating. Burial will be in the Beulah Cemetery, Ramey.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Lewisburg Bible Church, with Pastor Roger Wenger officiating.
The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to Good News Club of Northumberland County – Camp Good News Sponsorship Fund, 51 Blue Hill Rd., Northumberland, PA, 17857 or the SUN Home Health & Hospice, 61 Duke St., P.O. Box 232 Northumberland, PA 17857.
To sign the online guestbook, go to www.beardsleyfuneralhome.com.