12/19/2010
Versal Wayne Beebe, 90, of Knoxville, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 19, 2010, at the
Knoxville Hospital.
A funeral service was held on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010, at Williams
Funeral Home with Reverend Jeff Flagg officiating. Burial with military honors followed
at Graceland Cemetery.
Versal was born on Nov. 22,
1920, in Urbana Township in Monroe County to Joel and Edna (Lockhart) Beebe. He
grew up in Monroe and Marion County and attended school in Knoxville. After his
education he began farming in Marion County.
Versal married Connie Hart on Feb.
28, 1940, in Des Moines. The couple made their home in the Knoxville area until
Versal was drafted into the U.S. Army on June 5, 1944. He served in the European
Theater and mainly in Italy. He was honorably discharged on Nov. 11, 1945. Upon
his discharge from the service the couple farmed down by Columbia and that is where
their youngest daughter was born. The couple moved to Tracy in 1951 and stayed there
for 13 years before moving to Harvey.
Versal and Connie also liked to travel all
over the United States and Canada. He especially enjoyed his trips to Yellowstone,
Nashville and Blue Ridge Park Way. Versal’s love in life was his wife, children
and he was very interested in his grandchildren’s and great grandchildren’s activities.
He also loved to make things out of wood and restore old buggies and sleighs. He
enjoyed gardening especially watermelons, sweet corn and tomatoes. Versal was also
a member of the Bellefountaine American Legion Post 647 for 53 years and the John
Myers V.F.W. Post 3519.
Survivors include his three children, Margaret (Ron) Gee
of Knoxville; Roy Beebe of Pershing; and Linda Stracke of Bondurant, Iowa; one sister,
Betty Larsen of New Port Richey, Fla.; 2 sisters-in-law, Norma Jean Beal of Knoxville;
and Florence Kathleen McDaniel of Yorba Linda, Calif.; half brother-in-law, Larry
Ivan Anderson of Tracy; 11 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and three great
great grandchildren.
Versal was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Connie on
Feb. 27, 2010, son, Gerald and wife Linda Beebe, two brothers and two sisters.
Serving
as casket bearers will be Greg Beebe, Jerry Beebe, Mike Gee, Mark Howe, Todd Stewart,
and Rick Silvers. Honorary casket bearers will be Randy Beebe, Steve Beebe, Ronda
Silvers, Elly McKinney, Mary Howe, Angela Huinker, Vickie Stewart, Timothy Sytsma
and Kimberly Sytsma.
Memorials are suggested to the Harvey Community Center. Online
condolences may be sent to williamsfhknoxville.com.