Morral

Beverly resident Valerie Morral never dreamed she would become reacquainted with her hometown in such a dramatic way when she moved away after marriage. And she never could have imagined that she would one day be seeking the office of mayor.

But when her younger brother, Charles Eric Stewart, went missing more than two years ago, she was compelled to return to her roots and to the place she called home as a child.

Morral moved back to Beverly from Belington initially to care for her ailing mother, Thelma Lewis. As long-time residents of Fountain Street, it was easy for her to feel at ease in the community she had visited often over the years and always cherished.

“I remember fondly delivering newspapers as a young girl. I know these streets intimately, along with the houses and the people,” Morral said.

Lewis passed away in December 2022, and it was only days after her death that Morral’s youngest sibling, Eric – a man adopted by her mother as a small boy from the White Mountain Apache Reservation in Arizona – went missing under still unsolved circumstances.

Her brother’s lingering case has deeply concerned Morral who found it “disheartening,” particularly in the historic, tight-knit community of Beverly that has made her “feel right at home once more.”

Having attended Beverly Elementary and Elkins Middle and High Schools, Morral obtained her BA in Education and BS in Sociology from Alderson Broaddus College in Philippi, and an MA in Education specializing in Special Education from West Virginia University.

She retired after teaching in Taylor County for 22 years, where she briefly held an administrative position in Special Education for that county’s Board of Education.

A lack of transparency in her local government is of primary concern to Morral, and she feels “a real disconnection has developed between Beverly residents and their elected representatives.”

Difficulties she experienced when seeking answers concerning her missing brother has fostered a commitment in her to “prioritize the safety and well-being of all residents.”

“I want town officials to not only make statements addressing community members’ concerns, but to be more open in their decision-making that affects all of us,” Morral stated.

Relying on her strong background in structured education, Morral is committed to being fully available to learn from the residents and then hear and respond to those she will serve if elected mayor.

Beverly’s Municipal Election is Monday, May 5, at the Town Hall, located at 5 Walnut Avenue. The offices of mayor, town recorder, and five Council members will be on the ballot.