12/04/2020
Leslie Johnson Beaver was born December 16, 1945, in Knoxville, Iowa, the first child of Harold “Peck” and Maryellen (Johnson) Beaver.
Les was raised on the family farm in rural Harvey. He attended the Knoxville Schools and later got his GED. He worked for various businesses in Knoxville, like the Ford garage and Farm Implement dealers. From there he worked in Oskaloosa at Clow and Ideal as well as doing his favorite occupation of Farming the family farm.
While Living in Oskaloosa he owned and operated “Dean & Julia’s” neighborhood convenience store. It was well known as the place to buy penny candy. After selling the store he was hired as a part time/weekend employee at the Knoxville VA. He continued there as a full time employee/supervisor for over 20 years. He retired in February of 2010.
On February 9, 1990, Les married Debra Keener in Memphis, Missouri. They lived on the family farm where they welcomed their only child, Kara Dawn, in 1993.
Les was a devoted member of the Bellefountaine Masonic Lodge, Gavel Lodge in Attica and Oriental Lodge in Knoxville. He attained his 50 year lodge pin in 2017. Les also was a member of the ZA-GA-ZIG Shrine in Altoona. He attended many functions, helped organize events, held offices and even had a club named after him: Royal Order of the Beavers Shrine Club. He was also very active in the Knoxville Isetta unit, Marion County Shrine Club, Hapac Grotto, and the Order of Quetzalcoatl.
During his retirement from the VA he kept busy working in his shop and on the farm with his daughter Kara. They spent many hours together from fixing fence, tearing down old out buildings, to building Kara’s new shop. She also entertained his many other random tasks and wild ideas he had thought up throughout his day. They recently spent the most time together starting to reclaim the strip pit portion of the farm.
After Les had gotten his dozer and Kara had acquired her skid loader they made vast changes by eliminating trees, reshaping the ground, and even started to clean up the pond so they could have a place to relax after the work was done. She was his eyes and ears and he was the supervisor. A job he was good at! Even his dad, Peck, said there was only one way to do something- “Do it Les’s Way!”
Les passed away Friday, December 4, 2020, at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines at the age of 74 years, 11 months and 18 days.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold “Peck” and Maryellen Beaver.
Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Debra: daughter; Kara Beaver (Carla Smith) of Harvey: Son; Martin Beaver (Warren Larsen) of Saylorville Township; brother: Dan (Tomma Lou) of Tracy; and many other friends and neighbors.
A Funeral service for Les Beaver, age 74 of Harvey, will be held on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at Bybee & Davis Funeral Home. Visitation will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Breckenridge Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Breckenridge Cemetery Association, the Bethel Cemetery Association or to the family.