Beaver Valley Hall OF Fame

Jacob Erastus Davis was born in Beaver OH on October 31, 1905 the son of George Omer and Catherine
Leist Davis. Davis was raised in the village of Beaver and graduated from Beaver High School in 1923. He
received his undergraduate degree from Ohio State University in 1927 and his Juris Doctorate from Harvard
University in 1930. In 1930 he started a law practice in Waverly OH. In 1931 he started his first of two
terms as Pike County Prosecuting Attorney. In 1934 he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives
where he became majority floor leader. During his second term in the Ohio General Assembly, he played a
major role in developing the school foundation program that today serves as the basis for public school
financing in Ohio. In 1937 he became the Common Pleas Judge in Pike County. In 1940, Davis was elected
to Congress and had the unusual honor of being named to the important Foreign Affairs Committee as a
freshman Congressman. In 1943 he became special assistant to Navy Secretary James Forrestal, and later
became assistant general counsel for the Navy Department. Davis joined The Kroger Company in 1944 and
helped to build it into one of America's leading supermarket chains. He rose to president in 1962 and retired
as president and chairman in 1970. He was elected to the Board of Directors to the Cincinnati Reds in 1965.
In 1970, he served as chairman of Governor Gilligan's Citizens Task Force on Tax Reform and became
known as the father of Ohio state income tax. He was a member and chairman of the Ohio State University
Board of Trustees; a trustee and member of the Executive Committee of Bethesda Hospital; and director of the
Cincinnati Milling Machine Company, the Anchor Hocking Company, and the Ohio National Life Insurance
Company. Mr. Davis was a faithful supporter of various organizations, churches, and charities. He was the
chairman of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation from 1978 to 1987. Mr. Davis was honored by this
foundation with the creation of an annual award entitled, The Jacob E. Davis Volunteer Leadership Award.
This award recognizes an individual who has made an extraordinary contribution and celebrate their service
by providing a $10,000 grant to an organization selected by the recipient. Mr. Davis married Minnie
Eleanor Middleton in 1929 and raised two children. Mr. Davis passed away at his Naples, Florida home on
February 28, 2003

Wesley Branch Rickey was born December 20, 1881 in Scioto County OH, just south of the village of
California (now Stockdale). He was the second of three sons born to Jacob Franklin and Emily Brown
Rickey. He started his professional baseball career while a student at Ohio Wesleyan University. Rickey was
a player for the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Browns, but always refused to play on Sundays as a
promise to his mother, a devout Methodist. In 1917 he began a long association with the St. Louis
Cardinals (president, 1917-19; field manager, 1919-25; general manager, 1925-42). He led the Cardinals to
six National League pennants. In 1919 he devised the farm system of training ballplayers. He later became
president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers (1943-50). On February 20, 1943 Phil Wrigley and
Branch Rickey chartered the All-American Girls Softball League. He helped break the baseball color barrier
by signing Jackie Robinson with the Brooklyn Dodgers on October 23, 1945. While with the Pittsburgh
Pirates during the 1950's (1950-59), he introduced the use of batting helmets. In 1959 Rickey launched an
effort to form a third major league, the Continental League. After an agreement by the National and American
Leagues to expand to more cities, plans for the third league are abandoned. Rickey was elected to the
Baseball Hall of Fame on January 29, 1967. In July 1999, ESPN selected him as the most influential sports
figure of the twentieth century. Branch Rickey died on December 9, 1965 in Columbia MO and was laid to
rest in Rush Township Cemetery in Scioto County OH.

Samuel Slavens was born the son of Charles and Margaret Slavens in Union Township on March 18, 1831.
He grew up on the family farm and learned the farming profession. He married Rachel Taylor on October 30,
1856 and had three sons. When the Civil War broke out Slavens volunteered for military service. On
October 1, 1861 he enlisted in Company E of the 33rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. In the spring of 1862
Slavens volunteered for a secret mission which if successful could bring a quick end to the war. The mission
was to steal a locomotive deep in Confederate territory and race the train northward into Tennessee. All the
while the group was to destroy the rails, telegraph lines, and bridges in the wake. The raid, which occurred
on April 12, 1862, became known Andrew*s Raid after the leader of the group, James Andrews.
Unfortunately, the plan did not succeed and all of the raid*s participants were captured and placed in prison
camps. Eventually, seven of the group were placed on trial and convicted of being Union spies. Those
convicted, including Slavens, were hanged on June 18, 1862. Due to their bravery and extreme sacrifice, the
United States Congress awarded them the first Medals of Honor. Rachel, the wife of Samuel Slavens, was
awarded his medal on July 28, 1883. Samuel Slavens is buried in Chattanooga National Cemetery in
Chattanooga TN.

Carl Russell Rouse was born October 27, 1922 in Newark, Ohio the son of Harold and Emma Rouse. He
grew up in the same community in which he was born and attended the local schools until Junior High when
he moved to Stockdale to live with his grandfather William Beesler. Carl graduated from Stockdale High
School in 1942 at which time he had already enlisted in the United States Navy. He served his country
throughout World War Two and was assigned to the light cruiser the U.S.S. Montpelier. His ship saw
action throughout the South Pacific including battles at the Rennel Islands, the Solomon Islands, New
Georgia, Bougainville, Marianas, Guadacanal, Leyte, Luzon, Linguayen Gulf, Borneo, and the occupation of
Japan. During one battle his ship was struck by a Japanese Kamikaze. Mr. Rouse received an honorable
discharge at the end of his tour of service and had attained the rank of Seaman First Class. After the war he
enrolled in Wilmington College and graduated in June of 1949. After graduation he was hired by the
Stockdale Board of Education as a science teacher and basketball coach. In 1953 he was employed by the
Goodyear Atomic Corporation at the Piketon Uranium Enrichment Site. Three years later he was hired as the
Superintendent of Stockdale Local Schools. In 1958 he graduated from Marshall University with a Master's
Degree in School Administration. He remained at Stockdale until 1963 when he became the first
Superintendent in the newly created Eastern Local School District. He 1966 he accepted a position with the
Ohio Department of Education and was assigned an office in Toledo, Ohio. Mr. Rouse retired in 1979 and
moved to Cape Coral, Florida. He was the first president of the Stockdale Parents Teacher's Association
being elected in 1953. He was an active committee member responsible for the founding of the Stockdale
Volunteer Fire Department. He is a member of American Legion Post No. 142, the Eagles Lodge, the Elks
Lodge, the Ohio Retired Teacher's Association, STRS of Ohio. He married the former Helen Burgess on
February 2, 1946. Carl Rouse passed away March 21, 2008 in Columbus OH. He was laid to rest in
Stockdale Cemetery.

Earl Ebert Hoover was born March 25, 1916 in London OH the son of Emin Earl and Lula Hunter Hoover.
He started his public school education in Jeffersonville, Ohio prior to his parents moving to the Cove area of
the Beaver Valley. There he continued his education and graduated from Beaver High School in 1934. Mr.
Hoover enlisted in the U. S. Army in the spring of 1941 prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He attended
Officer's Candidate School in 1942 and was sent to Europe in the spring of 1944 as a Second Lieutenant.
During his tour in Europe he was assigned to the 329th Infantry, 83rd Division. He fought in Normandy,
Central Europe, the Rhineland, Brittany, and the Battle of the Bulge. He was twice wounded in battle and
for his courage and service was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, and the Silver Star. When
discharged from military service in December 1945 he had attained the rank of Captain. As a civilian Mr.
Hoover was employed by the Detroit Toledo & Ironton Railroad in their Jackson repair shops as well as the
Jisco Company in Jackson. He married the former Bonnie Clouse who he married while on military leave
on January 13, 1943 and raised three children. Mr. Hoover passed away June 26, 2004 and was laid to rest
in Beaver Union Cemetery in Pike County.

Delmer Howard Keppler was born near Beaver on September 21, 1921 the son of Elmer and Clara Kuntzman
Keppler. He received his public education in the village of Beaver and graduated from Beaver High School
in 1940. On September 10, 1942 he enlisted in the U. S. Army where he would eventually be assigned to
the 390th Bomb Group in the 8th Air Force. Howard flew 25 combat missions over occupied Europe
where he was a tail gunner on B-17's. During his tour his crews flew missions over Berlin, Frankfurt, and
Emden Germany. After his tour of duty he returned to the mainland where he helped train new Army
recruits until he was discharged on October 22, 1945. For his courage and service to his country, Howard
Keppler was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with three clusters. After the war
Mr. Keppler returned to his hometown where he pursued farming a 124 acre farm. In addition to farming, he
was a longtime school bus driver for the local schools. Mr. Keppler has been a long time public servant
having served on Beaver Village Council for 46 years. During his tenure on council the village built two
water towers, built a water treatment plant, saw many upgrades to its fire department, and constructed a
waste water plant. Keppler served many years on the Pike County Fair Board, volunteered as a 4H advisor,
is a member of Beaver VFW Post 9942 and the American Legion He married the former Geneva Gilliland
on November 30, 1946.

Raymond Lewis Bapst Sr. Was born in Beaver April 3, 1917 the son of Jacob Lewis and Pauline Kathryn
Kuntzman Bapst. He grew up in the same community in which he was born and attended the local school
until he took full time employment at the family sawmill. In addition to working at sawmill he also
worked for the Briggsdale Coal Company in Columbus and occasionally farmed. In 1938 he participated
in the state Gold Glove Boxing Tournament in which he finished second, only to lose to the eventual
winner. Raymond entered military service in World War Two on January 24, 1941 having joined the U.
S. Army. His early training bases included Camp Shelby, Louisiana, and Indiantown Gap Pennsylvania.
Eventually his unit was shipped to the South Pacific where he first served on Tonga Tabu Island for 10
months in 1942, then to Townsville Australia, and eventually to Woodlark Island. It was on Woodlark
Island that his unit received recognition for carving an airstrip out of dense jungle in just 13-1/2 days.
Planes taking off from this strip struck Rabuul, Japan's second largest military base. Mr. Bapst was
eventually hospitalized after contracting several tropical diseases and later shipped to Fort Meade for
treatment. Upon recuperation he continued his service at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland until his
discharge on April 3, 1945. After the war Mr. Bapst returned to his home in Beaver to resume work
farming and working at the family sawmill. He married Eileen Florence Pollard on March 18, 1944 with
whom he has raised four children. Among his pursuits is the enjoyment of coin collecting.

Huber Maurice Butler, better known as Chuck, was born June 8, 1923 in Jackson County the son of Freeman
and Clara Toland Butler. He grew up in the Stockdale community and graduated from Stockdale High
School in 1941. On December 19, 1942 he entered the U. S. Army where he was assigned to the 351st
Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force. He served as a waist and tail gunner on B-17's flying missions over
occupied Europe. One of his ships crash landed after being hit by enemy fire over France. During his tour of
duty Butler's missions included raids over Cognac, France and Berlin Germany. He participated in 29
combat missions and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with five clusters. By
the conclusion of the war he had reached the rank of Technical Sergeant. After the war Mr. Butler made his
home in Portsmouth where he was employed as a union carpenter. He has been an active member of his
church, Portsmouth's Calvary Baptist, where he has served many years as a trustee. He has been an active
golfer and participates in his military unit's reunions. Mr. Butler makes his home in Portsmouth with his
wife, the former Audrey Gash, whom he married in 1947. They have raised two children.

Robert Lewis Lahm was born November 24, 1907 in the village of Beaver the son of Robert William and
Ana Kathryn Nagel Lahm. He grew up in the village and attended the local school and graduated from
Beaver High School in 1927. In addition to his public school education, Mr. Lahm attended one year at
the Pike County Normal School, received a Bachelor's Degree in Education from Rio Grande College.
Upon completing his education he started a lifelong career as a public school teacher. For the vast majority
of those years he taught the middle school grades for the Beaver School, and later the Eastern Local School
District. For a short time he also taught at Cynthiana in western Pike County. The only period in which
he did not teach school was during World War Two when he joined the U. S. Army. On June 29, 1942
he enlisted in the U. S. Army Air Corps where he was assigned to the 9th Air Force. During the war he
served nearly three years in Europe which included service in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Naples, Foggia,
Rome, Arno, Normandy, the Rhineland, and Northern France. At the time of his discharge he had attained
the rank of sergeant and had received the Good Conduct Medal and the Victory Medal. After the war he
returned to Beaver where he resumed his teaching career. Mr. Lahm has always been active in civic affairs
having served on Beaver Village Council, was a charter member of both the Beaver Lion's Club and VFW
Post 9942. He is a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Jackson. In 1945 he was married to
Mildred Halley Ingall who passed away in 1983. Robert Lahm passed away September 24, 2007 and was
laid to rest in Beaver Union Cemetery. He is survived by his second wife, Grace Marie, whom he married
in 1986.

Paul Herdman Jones was born on December 23, 1900 the son of James W. and Dell Myrtle Herdman Jones.
He received his Bachelor of Science and Master's Degrees from the Ohio State University. Upon graduating
from medical school he started a medical practice in the community of Stockdale in Pike County. He served
as a general practitioner, optometrist, and surgeon in the local area. During the Ohio River Flood of 1937,
he set up a medical clinic to care for the refugees of the Portsmouth area. An avid gardener, he helped found
the Stockdale Garden Club in 1938, and served as its first vice-president. Prior to the second world war he
enlisted into the military reserve corps. On March 9, 1941 he entered active duty enlisting in the United
States Army. He was assigned to the medical corps and stationed at Camp Davis in Wilmington, North
Carolina. He was quickly promoted to the rank of major and eventually made the rank of Colonel. He was
made chief of the Ears, Nose, and Throat Clinic at Fort Davis. He then transferred to Richmond, Virginia
where he was made Chief of the McGuire General Hospital. During the war he served some 18 months
overseas. In 1945 he was honorably discharged from the U. S. Army. After returning from the war Dr. Jones
returned to Pike County where he continued his medical practice. In 1949 he was appointed Pike County
Health Commissioner and was elected Pike County Coroner. He was an active member of the Pike County
Medical Society, served as President of the Stockdale Board of Education, and was an active member of the
committee responsible for starting the Stockdale Volunteer Fire Department. He was first married to Cordie
Cameron, and later married Louella Coburn Brown. Dr. Paul H. Jones passed away September 23, 1967
and was laid to rest in Bainbridge Cemetery in Ross County.

Lamar Hammerstein was born in Beaver on March 16, 1903 the son of Charles and Flora Irvin
Hammerstein. He grew up in the Beaver community, attending the local school and graduating from Beaver
High School in 1922. During his high school years he was the not only the captain, but the coach of the
high school basketball team. His strong work ethic started at a young age as he accepted odd jobs
throughout his youth including that of janitor of the two local churches. He attended Ohio University and
taught school for a number of years at both the high school and elementary level. He was graduate of the
Cincinnati College of Embalming and on May 1, 1925 was hired by the Omer Davis Company to work in
its furniture and undertaking business. In 1935 the firm changed its name to the Davis-Hammerstein
Company as Lamar latter became a full partner. In 1952 Hammerstein, along with his son Robert,
purchased the entire business and changed the name to the Hammerstein Company. In 1974 the funeral
business was sold, but the furniture business remained in the family until its closure some twenty years
later. Lamar Hammerstein was dedicated to the Beaver community and was one of its strongest advocates
and supporters. He served many years on the village council and served as mayor of the village in the late
1920's. He was one of the earliest members of the Beaver Volunteer Fire Department and served as its chief
in the early 1930's. During World War Two he supported the war effort by leading one of the ration
committees. In 1952 he was one of the founding members of the Beaver Lions Club and was elected its first
president. Hammerstein served as the initial chairman responsible for building a hospital in Pike County.
He was a member of several social organizations, an avid historian, collector, and a member of the United
Methodist Church. Mr. Hammerstein married Lola Blanche Coriell on October 14, 1926 and raised two
children.

Morton Edward Riegel was born June 16, 1907 the son of Edward C. and Belle Johnson Riegel. He
attended schools in both Portsmouth and Stockdale. He graduated from Stockdale High School in 1926 and
later the Pike County Normal School. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio University and a
Master's Degree from the Ohio State University. He completed graduate work at Dartmouth and Harvard
Universities. He was a school teacher in the Beaver Valley for thirteen years. In 1938 he started the first
ever short wave radio station in Pike County. The station 's call letters were W8SPT. He was supervising
principal at Stockdale High School from 1934 to 1941 and at Beaver from 1941 to 1942 before entering the
United States Navy where he was an officer during World War Two as a radar specialist and technical
observer in naval aviation. Upon enlistment he was immediately commissioned a Lieutenant. His next
tour was to a new station in Patuxent River, Maryland where he established the Radar Branch at the station
and was promoted to Lt. Commander. When the war ended he returned to Ohio and went to work for the
Triplett Electrical Instrument Company as assistant Chief Engineer. Two years later he was asked by the U.
S. Navy to return to Patuxent to head the Weapons Systems Division as a civil servant. He became head of
the division and later the technical director of the Weapons Systems Division Naval Air Test Center. He
was head of the Radar Branch for eight years and then advanced to the position of chief engineer of the
division in 1962 and eventually was made technical director. In 1963 he was selected by the Civil Service
Commission for super grade status. Mr. Riegel passed away September 26, 2005.

Bertie Alma Crabtree was born in Scioto Township in Jackson County on January 19, 1872 the son of
Enoch and Minerva Brown Crabtree. He attained his formal education from the local graded schools. On
December 20, 1892 he married Florence Viola Bennett, the daughter of Lewis and Charlotte Brown
Bennett. The couple were joined in marriage by Justice of the Peace David Shakespeare in Scioto County.
The couple would raise eight children. One, their son James Erskin, was the first Pike Countian killed in
action in World War One. Throughout his life he made his living as a farmer, but also sold insurance. In
1921 Crabtree was elected Pike County Commissioner. He had been a member of two churches during his
life, the Providence Freewill Baptist and the Stockdale Methodist Church. He died at his home near
Stockdale on December 20, 1941. He was laid to rest in Scioto Cemetery in Marion Township.

Mabel Ruth Stephenson was born in the Glade community of Jackson County on April 12, 1913 the
daughter of Chalmer McClellan and Catherine Scheutle Stephenson. She grew up in the village of Beaver
and attended the town's frame school. She graduated from Beaver High School in 1930 where she served as
the captain of the girl's basketball team, the class Valedictorian, and class President. During her youth she
occupied many part time jobs to support her family and education. Those jobs included working as a
waitress in village restaurants, performing child care, working at the Ehrman House Hotel, and working at a
local cream station. Mabel received a full scholarship from Marshall University in Huntington WV. There,
she received sufficient credit to earn her teaching certificate. In 1931 she was hired by the Beaver Board of
Education to be the teacher at Rapp School, a one room building in Beaver Township. In 1933 she was
transferred to the newly constructed Beaver High School where she taught sixth grade. Miss Stephenson
was united in marriage to local businessman, Frank G. Adams. They were married by Reverend Charles
Thayer on May 30, 1936 in Beaver. Soon afterwards Mabel retired from her teaching career to be a
homemaker and assist her husband in the operation of Adams Dry Goods. For most of her married life she
balanced motherhood with the operation of the store. After the death of her husband in 1990, Mabel
continued the operation of the store on her own until ill health forced her to close the doors in 1995. Frank
and Mabel will forever been known for their generosity and kindness to everyone that entered their store,
whether they could pay their bills or not. Mabel has been an active supporter of the community throughout
her life. In the late 1940's she was an organizer in purchasing new band uniforms from the local high school.
She was active in her Sunday School, the Epworth League, the local flower club. She has been a longtime
supporter of the Beaver Oktoberfest, and has be integral in the creation of the Beaver Valley Historical
Society, of which she is a lifetime member. She is a member of Emmanuel United Methodist Church. She
had three children, one of which died in infancy. Mrs. Adams passed away January 31, 2008 in Columbus
OH. She was laid to eternal rest in Beaver Union Cemetery.

Walter Earl Duncan Jr. was born August 1, 1947 the son of Walter Earl and Mary L. Disbrow Duncan Sr.
He grew up in Union Township and attended the local schools. He graduated from Eastern High School in
1965. Earl was employed by AVCO, a subsidiary of Crosby Broadcasting Corporation in Richmond IN
when he was called into service. Earl joined Company A, 1st Battalion, of the 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry
Division of the U. S. Army. He was sent overseas to Vietnam in the spring of 1967. On May 19, 1967
Private First Class Duncan was a member of a search and destroy mission in Duc Pho, a small Vietnamese
village in the Gulf of Tonkin. As his platoon entered the village they encountered heavy enemy fire. PFC
Duncan was wounded in the initial attack, but stayed forward covering the rest of his platoon until they
could attain a more tenable position and evacuate the wounded. Then, despite his wounds and the intensity
of the enemy fire, he made an assault on an enemy bunker. Upon reaching the bunker, he hurled a grenade
into the enemy position, destroying it and its occupants. PFC Duncan eventually succumbed to his
wounds, but his efforts were instrumental in the success of his platoon's assault. For his courage and service
PFC Duncan was awarded the Bronze Star with "V" Device, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Purple Heart,
the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm. He was laid to rest in Owl Creek Cemetery in Pike County OH.

Roy Lee Lawson was born November 2, 1928 in Hotchkiss WV the son of James D. And Mary Rose
Lawson. He grew up in the community of South Webster in Scioto County OH and graduated from its high
school. On November 28, 1950 he enlisted in the U. S. Army at Fort Knox KY. He would spend the
majority of his service in Company B 48th Armored Infantry. From April of 1951 to March 1952 he served
overseas in Korea. He was promoted to Sergeant on March 14, 1952. One night his company commander
ordered him to take an ambush patrol after 15 Red soldiers. They were lying in a valley near "Heartbreak
Ridge". Pushing through a wet ravine a scout saw the Red soldiers ahead. Sergeant Lawson moved his
men into position to ambush the Reds. Just as they opened fire, another 15 Reds opened fire on them from
a hill. Lawson saw several of his comrads fall to the ground wounded. Realizing they were cut off from
their company, he prepared them for a long seige. The patrol soon ran out of ammunition. Sgt. Lawson
started himself out for supplies. Alone, he made his way through enemy fire and reached his company.
Loading himself with ammunition, he made the tortuous return trip unseen. Having resupplied his men,
Sgt. Lawson called for artillery support with his walkie talkie. So accurate were his radio instructions, that
the artillery shells decimated the enemy in a short time. He received the Korean Service Medal, three
Bronze Stars, and the United Nations Service Medal. Lawson also received a Commendation Ribbon with
pendent for Meritorious Achievement and was wounded in action. He was discharged from active service at
Camp Roberts CA on August 15, 1952. Lawson was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the
American Legion. He was a member of the Beaver Volunteer Fire Department for over 25 years. He was a
member of Laborers Local 83 of Portsmouth. He married Joyce Chandler on September 14, 1967. The
couple moved to the village of Beaver soon after their marriage. Mr. Lawson died at his home in Beaver on
May 26, 2002. He was laid to rest in Beaver Union Cemetery and was survived by his wife, a son and two
daughters.

Charles Raymond Frey was born in Marion Township, Pike County OH on October 30, 1917. His parents
were Charles and Stella Lyons Frey. Raymond grew to adulthood in or around the village of Beaver. He
attended the local school and graduated from Beaver High School in 1935. It the spring of 1927 the historic
flight of Charles Lindbergh sparked an interest of aviation in the youngster. This interest developed from a
hobby to a career that still fosters today. After graduating from high school he worked several odd jobs for
village businesses. In October 1935 he enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps and served six months,
mostly in California. He would continue to work various jobs over the next several years, but still
beckoned the call of aviation. Finally, in 1939 as war in Europe began escalating Raymond was sworn into
the United States Army on November 10th. He would quickly assume the role of an instructor and trained
scores of recruits in preparation for the second World War. He served at Chanute Field in Indiana, Biloxi
MS, Gulfport MS, Guam, Saipan, Hawaii, and many others. He was honorably discharged on December 1,
1945 as a Master Sergeant. Among his commendations were two Bronze Stars. Shortly after discharge Frey
went to work at Wright Field in Dayton as a civilian. In 1950 he was reactivated in the military and served
one year during the Korean War. He returned to Ohio to resume his civil service career which he continued
until his retirement in 1973. Since retirement he has been a longtime volunteer at the U. S. Air Force
Museum near Dayton and with the Boy Scouts. On July 20, 1946 Raymond married Arline Elizabeth
Cloon whom he had met while on assignment in Boston during the war. They have raised four children and
reside in Riverside OH.

Bennie Lamar Thompson was born November 22, 1925 in the village of Beaver. He was one of nine
children born to Benjamin and Bertha Kuntzman Thompson. Ben grew up the same community in which
he was born and graduated from Beaver High School in 1943. Soon after graduation Ben joined the
Merchant Marines in which he served until 1946. During his tenure with the Merchant Marines he helped in
supplying the troops at Normandy on D-Day, 1944. In 1950 Ben enlisted into the United Sates Army and
stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. Eventually, he would be transferred to Korea to stem the tide of
communism. He was promoted in 1943 to Fireman and Water Tender. In Korea he was promoted to
Sergeant in 1951, to 2nd Lieutenant on February 4, 1952, and 1st Lieutenant in December 1952. While
attempting a rescue on the Korean Front, exposing himself to enemy fire, was hit in both legs, arms, hands,
neck, and head by enemy mortar fire. Despite his wounds he succeeded in bringing the wounded back to
safety. Lieutenant Thompson received the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat, the Bronze Star for
valor, Combat Infantryman, and Paratrooper Jumpmaster. Thompson was honorably discharged from the
Army in 1953. Ben lives in Cleveland, Virginia where he retired from American Electric Power after 40
years of service as an engineer. He has two children.

Jacob A. Rapp was born July 31, 1890 the son of George and Mary Ann Butz Rapp. Jacob grew up in the
Beaver community and attended the local schools. He married Bertha Mae Keppler on December 28, 1910.
Jacob and Bertha raised a total of nine children. The couple would eventually make their home on Church
Street in Beaver. Jacob was very active in the Beaver community. He served the town as a school board
member, a member of Beaver Village Council, and was the village clerk for many years. He was on the
school board when the new high school was constructed on Main Street. Both he and his wife were very
active in their church, Beaver Methodist. He was a charter member of the Beaver Lions Club and a member
of the Waverly Eagles Lodge. When the first fire department was organized in Beaver in 1915, Jacob was
assigned the task of getting the fire pumper to the scene of the fire. During his life, Jacob had several
careers. He worked on the railroad, was a sawyer in a saw mill, served as Pike County Treasurer for sixteen
years, and taught school. As a teacher he taught at the Rader one room school as well as Windy Ridge in
Jackson Township. In 1915 he was the storekeeper for the Beaver Hardware and Furniture Company. He
also ran a farm which was located on Route 124. He purchased Welty Bennet’s Grocery Store and changed
the name to Rapp’s Grocery. Jacob operated that store for 24 years. In addition to carrying groceries the
establishment was a creamery station, a feed room, and also sold clothing. Jacob passed to eternal rest on
June 19, 1982 at the age of 91. He was laid to rest in Beaver Union Cemetery.

Dr. Beverly L. McCaleb was born September 14, 1927 in Edcouch, Texas, the second son of Dr. Walter L.
and Lillian Brown McCaleb. His parents soon moved to Kentucky where the elder McCaleb worked as a
doctor in a coal mining town. In the early 1930’s several of Beaver’s prominent citizens decided that the
village needed its own physician, and helped the McCaleb family relocate to Beaver. McCaleb received his
education starting in Beaver and attended through the sixth grade. He then attended Castle Heights Military
Academy in Lebanon, Tennessee, through the tenth grade and graduated from George Peabody Academy in
1945. He began attending college at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. His education was put
on hold in 1946 when he entered the United States Army, which included a tour of duty in the Philippine
Islands. After returning from the military he entered The Ohio State University studying premedicine. He
received his medical degree from the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery in Des Moines, Iowa,
graduating in 1953. The same year he did his internship at Doctor’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. “Doc”
began his career as a physician in Beaver in late 1953, taking over the practice of his father upon the elder
McCaleb’s retirement to Florida. During his first twenty years of practice he maintained daily office hours
without the help of any assistants. He routinely held “evening hours” and made house calls, sometimes in
the middle of the night. He delivered many babies at home during this period, and recalled it as being a
“special miracle” each time, though he modestly stated once that the most important thing he had to do was
“get out of bed in the middle of the night.” Dr. McCaleb cherished the small town life he enjoyed in
Beaver. His common sense approach to medicine along with his wry sense of humor made him a special
person to the many who knew him. He continued his medical practice until illness forced him to retire in
the spring of 1996. He enjoyed living in the family home surrounded by his family and friends until his
death on June 9, 1999. The remark he made most to those who loved him was “there’s no place like
home, and “home” for Doc was most certainly the community of Beaver.