Beverly Belcher Woody was born and raised in the Big A community of Patrick County, Virginia. Beverly grew up with a passion for history, conducting her first interview with mountain folks at the age of 10.

Upon graduation from Patrick County High School, Beverly spent the next seventeen years working in local textile mills. When the factories closed, Beverly earned an associate’s degree in paralegal studies from Patrick & Henry Community college and worked for local district and circuit courts as a deputy clerk for the next fifteen years.

While working for the court system, Beverly earned her bachelor's degree from Old Dominion University, took master’s courses from Averett and Liberty University, and completed her master’s in education at Regent University. At the age of 50, Beverly left the court system and earned her teacher licensure in history and English.

Beverly teaches United States History to sixth graders at Martinsville Middle School and writes a weekly local history column called Patrick Pioneers for Patrick County’s oldest newspaper, The Enterprise. Beverly serves as Regent of the Patrick Henry National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and is on the Board of Directors of both the Patrick County Historical Society and Museum and the Martinsville-Henry County Heritage Museum.

She was named “Teacher of the Year” in 2023 by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Beverly and her husband Mark live in the Snow Creek section of Franklin County, Virginia with their assortment of animals.

Woody may be reached at rockcastlecreek1@gmail. com.

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