Bever - Ora Eston - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Both the Bevers and the Shoafs were long-time families of Fountain County, his direct lines including Isaac (wife Sarah Lowe daughter of George and Mary Guilliams Lowe, also early Jackson Township folks) then John whose wife was Jane Cain.  Mary Etta Shoaf, his mother was a double cousin of mine, her father David Shoaf and mother Mary Ann Sowers (came here early from Davidson County NC – she being the daughter of Matthias and Susannah Long Sowers and following back with Valentine Sowers who was the son of our Revolutionary Soldier, John Philip Sowers (wife Christina Faust).  Now, David Shoaf’s parents were David Shoaf and Mary Catherine Sowers, she being the daughter of John George and Elizabeth Hedrick Sowers, John George the son of John Philip Sowers and Christina Faust, Philip the same Revolutionary soldier.  The Sowers family was instrumental in beginning the Phanuel Lutheran Church as were most of these other families.

Ora attended local schools and soon went West, landing in Yellowstone, Montana.  He sent for his adored one, Ruby Philpott who was born in Kingman and was just 18 years old when she went to marry him.  He was 22.  They wed on June 5, 1913 in Billings, witnesses were JE Dowling and his wife Mabel, married by the Rev. Reed of Billings.  Not long after their marriage, Ora continued what he had grown up to do, farm taking-up a homestead at Garland.  (this is their homestead home that he likely built and was made into the Homesteader’s Museum in Powell in 2006 (Billings Gazette 13 Nov 2006 p3) – Ruby can barely be seen besides the two-room home (14’ x 38’ with a curved roof and almost all of the homestead homes looked like this).  They lived here for about five years according to the above article and he developed “a thriving seed and bean business.”  He had no idea he was going to homestead but claimed 60 acres.   By the 1920 census they had a daughter, Mary and son James.

In December 1926, Ora had an interesting happening on his property.  On Sept 21 of that year, they lost about 50% of the 1,000 acre potato crop due to an unexpected severe frost.  Ora was a large potato rancher and when they began their fall plowing, they had discovered that the harvester had not gone near deep enough and they ended-up having another huge harvest (fine potatoes and unfrozen).  The tally equaled about 1,000 pounds.  About this time, he was doing much work on the roads of the area, trying to make sure they were up to par for travel.

By the next census they had moved to Powell, Wyoming, owing a $4,000 nice home.  He was then an insurance agent.  Mary and James were just entering their teens and had been joined by brother, Robert E.  Perhaps he had gone to Wyoming to go to college, but I would guess he went well after their marriage but he is tallied in the 1940 census as 2 years of college and still in to real estate and owning a ware house. In his obituary, it states he was a Purdue graduate so evidently he went right after high school and before heading to WY.  Certainly, he was doing very well at this point!

On his WWII draft registration (Powell in Park County, Wyoming) that he was born in Wallace, Ind on June 27, 1890 and Ruby is of course listed as his next of kin.  He is listed as having ruddy complexion, blue eyes, brown hair and being 5’6” and weighing 155#.  His signature is a bit shaky and did you not know his name, who knows what you might think Ora is 😊

Ruby was quite involved in many things in the area, especially Eastern Star and the Gold Star Mothers, having lost Robert in WWII (shot down while on a bombing mission over Formosa). She also adored her Demonstration Club.

“Bobby” their son was brought back to San Francisco in October of 1947 on the Army Transport Honda Knot – he was with six other Wyoming dead.  Can you imagine how bad it would be for Ora, having to go pick-up their Bobby – “Staff Sgt, Robert E. Bever.  Ora left their home 112 North Edmonds Street in Powell to do just that!  (Casper Star 10 Oct 1947 p1).  Their other son, James Philip was also in WWII, serving in the Navy in the South Pacific.  He fathered five children as well and ran a Bean Mill in Powell, so the children and grands were close to Ruby and Ora.   

A scary happening occurred to Ora and his son, Jim when they were attacked by a grizzly bear in late 1950.  Jim was seriously injured.  The bear was then killed by a trapper, Anson Eddy and the hide measured 8’9” long.

While in Powell, Ora just kind of fell into the political scene and spent eight years as the Powell mayor.  

He also loved to ride and would be seen in several horse shows as a member of the Powell Valley Riding Club.  For two weeks, the club had eliminated riders in 1953 and Ora was chosen to lead the Men’s Western Pleasure class.  In 1956, their daughter, Mary Elaine and her husband, Jerry Housel accompanied Ora and Ruby to Chicago to the Democratic convention, Ora representing Wyoming as its delegate.  Mary Elaine was quite into the political scene in life, as well, graduating from the University of Wyoming (Commerce and Education degree, member of Kappa Kappa Gamma), worked for Wyoming Senator Joseph C. O’Mahoney in Washington DC, school boards, and also a member of OES.  She and Jerry had four children I’m sure the Bever totally enjoyed.  

One of his mayorial happenings was to oversee Powell’s annual “Bean Ball.”  The Billings 3 Nov 1947 Gazette wrote that year about the Bean Ball that “everybody west of the Big Horn mountains and east of the Rockies would be congregating in Powell.  That year was the 13th annual.  Wonder if they still have one? Sounds like fun!

So is the life of FoCo born Ora Eston Bever and his wife, Ruby Philpott who moved west and made a similar yet totally different life as he would have had here!