Family Pride

During Opening night celebration families carried banners to proclaim pride in heritage, Bevier, and home. Balloons ascended, and the celebration began... (double click photo to enlarge)

Tea & Style Show

Nellie welcomed us in with lively piano selections, then we settled back to enjoy a great visit, wonderful tea and petit fours, and a brilliant style show featuring styles from days long past, and styles we sported yesterday...or what seems like yesterday. Check out more photos of the models, fashions, and candid shots from the Tea and Style Show on the slide show in the side bar. It takes a minute to load, but it's loaded with shots!

Crazy about Quilts!

Frank and Diane Adams graciously opened their beautiful Victorian home to us for the Quilt Show.

Later, at the Tea and Style Show, this beautiful quilt made by the Pappenfoht sisters was presented to the winner.

Sesqui Classic Car Show

The Classic Car Show was another big hit of the Sesqui Celebration. My fave was the yummy aqua-blue Thunderbird. I don't know anything about what was under the hood, but the chiffon scarf tied to the rear-view mirror was tres chic! I want that car. I NEED that car! But then again, every girl needs one. ~cg

Heritage Banner Parade

It takes a lot of names to fill a town! The Heritage Banner Parade gave us an opportunity to show the cultural diversity of our town. ~cg

More Shots of the Cemetery Tour and Tourists

The evening sun streamed through the trams, and the years passed us by--- this time in reverse. Through soft smiles and frequent tears we watched our citizens portray our loved ones. These candid shots give a little more view into one of the very special events of the Sesquicentennial. If anyone would like to comment and place names to the shots, we welcome that always.

Saturday Night Sparkle

The beautiful fireworks display on Sesqui Saturday Night was sponsored by Richard Compton (BHS Class of 1975) and his company, Compton Auction. ~cg

The Odd Fellows are gone, but the memories remain!

The Black Diamond building served as "home base" during the Sesquicentennial Celebration. The displays of memorabilia, photos and artwork were fabulous. I could have spent days reading all the wonderful stuff in there! There were fun things to buy, and I know the free coffee and cookies were very much appreciated by the out-of-town guests, especially during the cool (but perfect) evenings. Once again, hats off to Patty Cheever and the entire committee for giving us such a fabulous event! ~cg

A Tour of Historical Bevier

Those who boarded the tram for the historical tour of Bevier had the fortune to "meet" Dr. T.P. Gronoway in the home he used as a hospital in 1919...now meticulously restored and maintained by the Ricker family. ~cg

Cemetery Theatre - 1

I'm certain that the Cemetery Theatre at our Sesquicentennial celebration will be remembered for a long, long time. The presenters did a fabulous job and it was such a wonderful opportunity to hear about some of the people who have in some way touched the lives of everyone who has grown up or lived in Bevier. From the top:

Frank Chiarottino, the first Italian to settle in Bevier. He arrived in 1890 and his family has been growing strong ever since.

Robert (Bob) Lobmire, who will long be remembered as the guy who could remember...just about anything concerning Bevier!

Edi and Sita Pappenfoht...who came to this country to start a new life after WWII. The love and family spirit they brought to our community will live on for generations to come.

Hardie Smith, our "Mr. Fixit" who came to our rescue at all hours, in all weather. A true neighbor in every sense of the word.

Francis Dunn Jones, the Welsh immigrant who started the Bevier Appeal newspaper, a publication that not only chronicled our early history and family events, but also helped countless immigrants learn to read. ~cg

Cemetery Theatre - 2

The Cemetery Theatre continued...we heard from and about our beloved Bevier grocers Raymond "Pud" Weber and August Zuccarini, along with turn-of-the-century BHS Superintendent Mabel Richards.

The parents of the famous arealists The Flying Beckmans told us all about how their three boys (Ed, Will and Tom) got their start in show business. They entertained their Bevier friends in circus tents they made from gunny sacks, where match sticks were the price of admission. Later the toured the country with the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus!

The last stop on the tour was truly a highlight of the Sesquicentennial. Alex Rector, the man who discovered coal in Bevier, was portayed by his ggg-grandson Roger Rector...while his 4-g grandson, Seth Rector, became coal mining tycoon Thomas Wardell. FABULOUS!

The Colonel would have loved it!

What a wonderful surprise! Clarence Bevier, a 7th-generation descendant of Col. R.S. Bevier came from Florida to join our celebration! Clarence visited with many residents this past weekend, including our wonderful Sesquicentennial Chair, Patty Cheever (top) and the Pappenfoht girls (bottom). Clarence is not only a celebrity for descending from the Civil War hero after whom our town was named, but he has also set a Guiness Book World Record...for the fastest recitation of the alphabet...backwards! ~cg


Clarence Bevier during Saturday's events. What a treat to welcome our little city's namesake!


Mr. and Mrs. Bevier attended the style show and tea on Sunday afternoon.



On Friday evening Mr. Bevier recited the alphabet backwards... in what seemed like a fraction of a second. The citizens of Bevier truly appreciate the time and expense of such a long trip and would love to welcome the couple back again soon. --- gp