Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 821
CHESTER J. BEEBE

The people who constitute the bone and sinew of this country are not those who are unstable and unsettled, who fly from one occupation to another, who do not know how to vote until they are told, and who take no active or intelligent interest in the civic affairs of their community. The backbone of this country is made up of the families who have made their homes, who are alive to the best interests of the community, who attend to their own business in preference to the affairs of others, and who work on steadily from day to day, taking the sunshine with the storm, who rear a fine family to a comfortable home and an honest life. Such people are always welcome in any country, and in any community. They are the wealth producers, and Harrison county is fortunate in being blessed with many of them, among whom is Chester J. BEEBE, a farmer of La Grange township.

Chester J. BEEBE was born October 28, 1873, at Modale, Harrison county, Iowa, the son of Alonzo and Hannah (WORTHINGTON) BEEBE. This family is not related to the BEEBEes heretofore mentioned and referred to elsewhere in this volume. Alonzo BEEBE and wife are the parents of five children: Jeanette, who is deceased; Bert, a farmer of Harrison county; Chester, the immediate subject of this sketch; Arthur, a farmer of this county; and Mrs. Dollie Caywood who lives in Canada. Alonzo BEEBE was born in 1818 in Massachusetts and worked in the woolen mills of that state. He assisted in the organization of several manufacturing plants of woolen cloth, and came to Harrison county, Iowa, in 1869, where he engaged in farming near Modale, Iowa. He farmed very successfully until his retirement and death in 1901. Anna (Worthington) BEEBE was born in 1843 in Connecticut and died in 1899.

Chester J. BEEBE began life for himself when one year past his majority. He was reared on the farm and attended the public schools of Modale, Iowa. He remained at home until his marriage, and then went south to the Mistletoe Flower State, otherwise known as Oklahoma. Here he homesteaded 152 acres of land, which he very greatly improved. In 1903, Mr. BEEBE returned to Harrison county, Iowa, and farmed the old home place of his father until 1910. In this year, Mr. BEEBE came to La Grange township and rented land for two years. He then purchased his present farm of 209 acres, 18 acres of which is in natural timber. Mr. BEEBE has a nice cottage home, surrounded by a beautiful grove of trees, and has made extensive improvements upon his farm. He has built two corn bins, put up a large silo, and otherwise improved his place.

Mr. BEEBE was married in 1895 to Elsie DAKAN, who was born in this county in 1879, and who is a daughter of Marcus and Nancy (KELLEY) DAKAN, both natives of Ohio, who came to Iowa in the early days. Mrs. BEEBE's father was born in 1846 and taught school after first coming to Iowa, and is now one of the oldest living school teachers in Harrison county, and, at the present time, is teaching a district school in Modale. When he first came to Iowa, he engaged in farming along with teaching. Mrs. BEEBE's mother was born in 1838 and died in 1899.

Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. BEEBE: Marquis, Sadie, Everett, Dollie, George, Opal, Myles, Grace, Wilbur and Johann.

Mr. BEEBE is an influential citizen in the community where he lives. He is identified with the Republican party, and is now serving on the school board of his township. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Church, active in the affairs of this church, and liberal contributors to its support. The BEEBE family is justly entitled to representation in a volume which purports to set forth the biographical and historical facts relative to Harrison county.

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