Castalia, IA 8 Feb 1885 and died at Decorah 2 Feb 1987. William and Grace were married in the Baker family home in Decorah 21 Mar 1914. Both are buried in Phelps Cemetery, Decorah.

Franklin married Laura Elizabeth Bershee on New Year’s Day, 1945 in Burlington, IA. Laura was born in Burlington to Charles Richard Bershee (15 Sep 1893-4 Jan 1986) and Esther Helen Hansen (23 Mar 1893-22 Jan 1929). Charles and Esther were born in Burlington.

Rob, Brian, Laura, Frank, Rollin, Jay and Ben. August 1986.

Franklin and Laura were parents of 5 sons, all born in Decorah: James, Brian, Franklin, Robert and Rollin.

Franklin farmed all his life with his father and brothers near Decorah. In 1956 William Beard and Sons won the Iowa Sweepstakes Award for conservation farming. In retirement Franklin and son Jay built a small house on the home farm where Franklin and Laura now live.

Beard, James P. and Mary (Barrett)

(James Beard)

James Philip Beard, youngest son of William E. and Grace E. (Baker) Beard, was born  in Decorah. Great-grandfather Beard came to the Frankville area of Winneshiek Co. in the early 1850’s from Indiana; greatgrandfather Baker to the Castalia area about the same time. Growing up on the farm just outside Decorah, James attended a rural one-room school, graduated from Decorah High School in 1940 and went off to engineering school at Iowa State College in the Fall.

All young men of his age were very conscious of the war and where they were destined to fit in. In Nov 1942 the pressure to do something climaxed and James enlisted in the Army Air Corps. In Feb 1943 he was inducted as a private at Jefferson Barracks, MO. Months later, after training at many different stations, he became a second lieutenant as a navigator. Soon he was off to the 15th Air Force in Italy flying combat bombing missions over the Balkans, southern France and Germany. Ploesti, the Roman oil installation, was a target hit many times. On his 49th mission the plane was hit badly by anti-aircraft fire over Vienna. It could not recover and, with the bomber on fire, the crew had to parachute out. James’ experience as a PO.W. is a story by itself.

Life began again the next May when James was flown to France and then transported by boat to New York. With the war soon winding down, he felt quite lucky to have survived. The farm looked like a good place to settle in. Brothers, William E., Jr. and Franklin Hammond, had kept the place productive in spite of shortages. Sister Barbara also helped during the summer and taught school the rest of the year.

On 9 Sep 1950 James married Mary Caroline Barrett, daughter of William H. and Ethel B. Barrett, in Wellsville, PA. Mary Caroline ("Killy") was born in Brooklyn, NY.  She attended Lincoln School in New York and Stephens College in Missouri. To the couple were born 5 children (4 in Decorah):  Barbara was born in Harrington, PA as the family was moving to New Jersey. James was offered a job as plant engineer at Barrett & Co. by his brother-in-law, Hunter L. Barrett.

The decision to move was not an easy one, as the Beards knew it would be a complete change in life style and take all their courage and resolve. They established a home in BedminsterTwp., NJ; this meant a 40 mile commute, but they could live in a somewhat rural setting.

Work at the tannery was interesting as well as smelly and grubby. James found in the work force many ethnic groups and learned their habits and motivations. Equipment in this tannery, as in most he visited, was quite old, although well maintained; he thought it to be inefficient and labor intensive. This was a characteristic of management that he was determined to change. He made a few inroads that proved his point and from then on Hunter Barrett became most enthused in upgrading equipment.