Florence Louise (Beardsley) TITUS

BEARDSLEY, TITUS, MORELAND, SMITH, ALEXANDER, WATNE, EARP

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 3/18/2010 at 16:17:38

Florence Louise (Beardsley) Titus passed away at her home in Clarion on March 10, 2010 at the age of 87 years and 8 days. Visitation will be March 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Clarion United Methodist Church. The memorial service will be March 20, at 10 a.m. at the church

Florence was born on March 2, 1923, in the farm home of her parents, Emmett Frank and Florence Ivy (Moreland) Beardsley, in Seeley Twp., Guthrie County. In 1926, her family moved to Baker Twp., which gave her the most enjoyable years of her youth. Florence met Max Titus at the age of 16. She graduated from Guthrie Center High School, class of 1941. Because World War II was in action, she was issued a war emergency teaching certificate and taught three years in rural schools. On April 11, 1942, Max and Florence drove to Bethany, Missouri, where they were united in marriage. Florence accepted Jesus Christ as her personal savior in 1943, and was baptized by Immersion, in 1952. When Max was only 20 years old, after the death of both his parents, Max and Florence bought his dad's farm, located three miles east of Guthrie Center where Max had lived since he was two years old and continued to work the land there. Three children blessed their farm home: Wyn Allen, Rickey Edward and Etter Marlene. In 1957, Max left the farming to Florence, along with sons Wyn and Rick, and started working as a Farm Bureau Insurance Salesman for Guthrie County. In 1959, the family moved to Clarion where Max became Agency Manager for Farm Bureau Insurance.

Florence then attended the Eagle Grove Jr. College for one year, taking secretarial courses. She took a position as secretary at the Clarion Memorial Hospital, and later as secretary at the Clarion city clerk's office. In 1962, when Max left Farm Bureau to open his own independent insurance, real estate, and farm management business, Florence became his office secretary and receptionist. Other positions that Florence held were chairperson of the Valley Twp. Farm Bureau Women; Sunday school teacher, as well as secretary-treasurer at the Guthrie Center Open Bible Church and Holmes Baptist Church; and secretary for the Wright County Republican Women's organization. She also was a member of the Blairsburg Missionary Alliance Church and the Clarion First United Methodist Church. Hobbies that Florence enjoyed were; gardening, canning, baking, sewing, quilting, knitting, darning, crocheting, painting, and hosting dinners, family gatherings, and reunions.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Emmett and Florence Beardsley; infant sister, Myrna Bethene; and sisters, Amy Smith and Irene Alexander. She is survived by her husband (of nearly 68 years) Max Edward Titus; her children: Wyn Titus, and wife Saundra, of Lebanon, Missouri; Rick Titus of Clarion; and Etter Watne and husband Knute of Galt; eight grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; one sister Neva Earp, of Salem, Virginia.

Wright County Monitor, Clarion, Iowa
March 18, 2010