Beatrice "Bea" Loven Gardner, 90, of Mars Hill, NC, passed away, January 9, 2025. She was the daughter of the late, Natt Taylor Loven, Sr. and Minnie Miller Loven. Bea was a loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She was a former Sunday School teacher and Choir director at Paint Gap Baptist Church and Middle Fork Baptist Church and was retired from Mars Hill Medical Center. Bea always loved and enjoyed her animals. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, William Clyde Gardner; daughter, Barbara Marie Gardner; siblings, Natt "N.T." Taylor Loven, Jr., Margaret Brown, Ben Loven, Marcel Medling, Barbara "Bobbie" Parris, and Vereda Crisp Chastain.

She is survived by grandsons, Brian Mace, Andy Mace (Suzy); great grandchildren, Alex, Brianna (Gideon) and Jack; and many nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be held at 2:00pm Saturday, January 18, 2025, at Middle Fork Baptist Church. Reverends Nelson Ponder, Stanley Peek and Homer Tweed will officiate. The burial will follow in the Brown Ray Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.blueridgefuneralservice.org.