(James) Stanley Beers On this, the last day of March, I’m remembering a wonderful person. I always think of my step-father, Stan, in March. Stan had a saying every year concerning this month. He always would call these days, “The long yellow days of March”. I’m thinking he would be really disappointed this year. But Stan was stoical and took everything life threw at him with the courage that men in those days were expected to exhibit. Not to say he didn’t feel joy or grief, but his outward appearance was always (in my experience) strength. Stan was born James Stanley Beers on March 30th in 1902. He had 12 children with his first wife, Mildred (Reid). Their two daughters and one son died young and they had one boy who died around the age of 12 when he was struck by a car. That left them with eight strapping sons to raise up. Stan farmed and lumbered. He ran camps. He worked and lived for many years in the US. He survived hard times. He told that one year every cent he made after working a long winter in the woods went to pay the medical bills when one of his daughters was sick. He had a house burn down when there was no insurance. He endured much, like many others did, in those hard days. But he was never bitter. I guess he saw it all as part of life. Several years after Mildred died and after my Dad died, Stan came to visit my Mom. These two couples had been lifelong friends and I expect Stan was as lonely as my Mom. It seemed rather strange to me that my Mom was going on dates when I still hadn’t had a date. She was 64 and Stan was 75 when he asked her to marry him. I remember well the day my Mom asked me if I approved of the idea. I said something like, “Mom, I think you are old enough to make that decision.” Her response was, “I would never marry anyone my children didn’t approve of.” Imagine! And in 1977 they married. Stan built a new house for them to live in and he welcomed us, Cora’s children, into his life. My Mother and Stan lived happily together until his death at 89 years of age. No one ever treated me with more respect than Stan Beers. I felt loved and looked after. I will always remember and love him and think of him every March on those “long yellow days”. Surely they will return next year. Stan’s children; Mary Beers Albert Beers Terry Beers Lowell Beers Irene Beers Kenneth Beers Wayne Beers Fred Beers Richard Beers Gene Beers Lewis Beers Philip Beers
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 19:01:18 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015