Richard Beard 1911-2003

DUNHAM, BEARD, WILLIAMS

Posted By: Lori Clark (email)
Date: 4/30/2003 at 08:03:11

Gay & Ciha Funeral & Cremation Service– Iowa City – (319) 338-1132
2720 Muscatine Avenue, Iowa City, Iowa 52240

Iowa City Press-Citizen –Paid-Picture
Cedar Rapids Gazette-Paid-Picture

Oxford Dateline:

Richard “Babe” Beard, age 91 of Oxford, died Monday, April 28, 2003 at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 2, 2003 at the Windham Community Church in Windham, Iowa with the Reverend Mark Jagnow officiating. Burial at the Oxford Cemetery will follow a reception being held at the church after the services. Visitation will be from 4 to 7pm at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service Oxford’s Chapel, Oxford, Iowa. Memorial donation can be made in Babe’s memory to the Windham Community Church. Online condolences may be sent for Babe’s family through our website @www.gayandciha.com.

Richard Beard was born September 12, 1911 near Oxford, rural Johnson County, the son of Richard and Lillie Maude (Dunham) Beard. He graduated from Oxford High School, later married Alice Bernice “Bunnie” Williams on June 2, 1939 in Oxford. For a number of years he farmed in the Oxford area, was a brick tender in the construction field, working on many of the buildings at the University of Iowa, worked for the ASC office, and after it completion, was the first custodian at Hancher Auditorium, later joined by his wife, Bunnie. He also worked as a custodian within the University Hospitals.

Babe loved the outdoors, being on the farm, working in his garden, hunting, fishing, just being outside brought him great joy, along with sharing with friends at the “Depot” in Oxford.

His family includes his wife, Bunnie; son and his wife, Bill and Kathleen Beard of Oxford; daughter, Jean Neuhaus of Oxford; and son, Locke Beard of Oxford; six grandchildren, Will and Wendy Stewart, Angela Myers, Michele Schmidt, Monte Neuhaus and Robyn Taylor; eleven great-grandchildren, Tiffany, Preston, and Trent Myers, Andrew, Margaret, Jeffrey, and Bobby Schmidt, Joshua and Erin Taylor, Joe and Victoria Stewart; great-great-granddaughter, Shelby Lacina.

Babe was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Ross O. Beard and Robert E. “Buck” Beard; sister, Ruth Clute; and a son-in-law, George Neuhaus.

Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service of Iowa City and Oxford is caring for Babe’s family and his services.