The Oskaloosa Herald
OSKALOOSA —
H. Maurice Beaver, 93, of Oskaloosa, died Monday evening, Oct. 15, 2012, at the MHP Hospice Services Serenity House.
H. Maurice Beaver was born, March 4, 1919, on a farm four miles southeast of Cedar to Howard and Arla (McKinney) Beaver. He grew up in the Cedar community and attended grade school and high school at Cedar Consolidated School. He married Lois Ferguson, Dec. 25, 1943, at her home a mile west of Cedar. They farmed on the home place for five years before moving to Ames and attending Iowa State College where they graduated in 1949. While at Iowa State College, he majored in Animal Science and did some teaching during his senior year. He was also a member of both the Livestock and Dairy judging teams representing Iowa State in inter-collegiate judging contests. While at ISC, he was a member of the Farmhouse Fraternity and the National Block and Bridle Club of the Animal Science Division. When back on the farm, he was Past President of the Mahaska County Iowa State Alumni Association.
Following graduation, he worked from 1949 to 1951 as Farm Bureau Fieldman for the Dallas County Farm Bureau at Adel. In March 1951, Maurice and Lois returned to the home farm near Cedar.
In 1953, Susan Kay and Margaret Ann “Midge” joined the family. Susan died in August 1958, while swimming with a M.Y.F. group in Oskaloosa. Later a brother and sister, Michael Lee and Janice Marie joined the Beaver family.
After moving back to the farm, the family was active in church and community activities. Maurice was chairman of the Mahaska County Extension Council from 1955 to 1962 when it separated from Farm Bureau. He was a member the State Extension Advisory Council and in this capacity worked with county extension councils in the Tenco area. In addition to these positions he served on numerous committees in extension and Farm Bureau. He was a 4-H leader for 10 years and chairman of the County 4-H club committee. He worked with 4-H judging teams and judged at numerous livestock shows in the southern part of the state.
Maurice was in charge of the Bishops-In-Gathering that the Methodist churches hold each November in S.E. Iowa for two years. He was responsible for the gathering held at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant when all types of materials were collected from quilts to monies for the Heifer Project and to support the Methodist Church.
For 10 years Maurice organized and put on the popular tractor pulling contest at the Southern Iowa Fair in Oskaloosa. At the State Fair he was superintendent of the tractor pulling contest for 16 years.
Maurice was a charter member of Mahaska County Ruritan and a member for 27 years, during that time he was District Governor for two years of the Tall Corn District. He was also a member of the Oskaloosa Noon Kiwanis Club for many years.
Maurice was active in both Methodist Churches at Cedar and Oskaloosa; he served as County Lay Leader and a Newton District Lay Leader, as well as serving on the administrative and finance committees. Maurice and Lois were co-chairs with another couple when the church underwent extensive remodeling in 1999.
In 1969, after years of raising hogs in the pasture and open sheds, he was recognized as one of the State Master Pork Producers. He was also a member of the Ames Boer Testing Station Board for three years and was chairman of the board one year. He had been a cooperator in the Iowa Corn Yield Test program conducted by the Iowa Crop Improvement Association for almost 25 years; upon retiring he was made an Honorary Member.
While in the Cedar area, he was president of the Fremont Telephone Association and was instrumental in getting extended service to Oskaloosa and Ottumwa toll free. He also served as chairman in the early stages of the Cedar Area School reorganization.
In 1984, after 38 years of farming, Maurice and Lois retired from farming and moved into Oskaloosa.
Maurice’s family includes his wife of 68 years, Lois; two daughters: Midge (George) Stonecipher, of Carenco, La., and Janice (Chris) Hoover, Kirkwood, Mo.; and a son, Michael (Vanessa) Beaver, of Phoenix, Ariz.; four grandchildren: Amy (Romy) Andaya, of Lafayette, La.; Todd (Carol Howard) Stonecipher, of Lafayette, La.; Phillip (Rachel) Stonecipher, of Wilmington, N.C.; Angela Glosser, of Oskaloosa; and two brothers-in-law: Gene (Beverly) Ferguson and Homer Ferguson, both of Oskaloosa.
In addition to his parents, Maurice was preceded in death by his daughter, Susan Kay Beaver; and his mother and father-in-law, Carl and Ethel (Brubaker) Fereguson.
Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 18, at Central United Methodist Church with the Rev. Tom Boomershine officiating. Burial will be in Forest Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel; the family will be present from 5-6 p.m. to greet visitors.
Memorial contributions may be made to Central United Methodist Church.
