Florence L. (Beardsley) Titus

Florence Louise (Beardsley) Titus "went home" to be with her Lord and Savior on March 10, 2010, at the age of 87 years, and 8 days.

Visitation will be March 19th, from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M., at the Clarion United Methodist Church. The Memorial Service will be March 20th, at 10:00 A.M., with a lunch following, served by the United Methodist Church Family. All are welcome to attend.

Florence was born on March 2, 1923, in the farm home of her parents, Emmett Frank and Florence Ivy (Moreland) Beardsley, in Seeley Twp., Guthrie County, Iowa. When only ten days old, she wasn’t doing well, so her father headed out in a blizzard that was state-wide. The weather had been warm and sunny, and the fields were even drying out. Some farmers were gearing up for spring field preparation. But, the snow hit hard and became a full blown blizzard that lasted four days. Most fences were covered with massive snow drifts, which made it difficult to keep livestock in. Knowing that his newborn daughter needed medicine, her father saddled his horse and picked his way to Bayard, a distance of six miles. The folks along the way watched for him and, when sited, would give a general phone ring that let neighbors know of his progress, until he made it home.

In 1926, her family moved to Baker Twp., which gave her the most enjoyable years of her youth. A swing, made with the hay rope, hung in a large tree, allowing the four girls to swing far out over the yard fence. The family would also gather black walnuts, butternuts, gooseberries, and after a spring rain, mushrooms by the bucket-full! There were no freezers, so neighbors were always invited to a supper of mushrooms, fried in home-churned butter.

As a girl of six years, she well remembers the crash of 1929, when the banks locked their doors to prevent panic-driven citizens from depleting the banks' cash holdings. In 1933, the family moved to Seeley Twp., to live in a rented farm house, while building a new farm home that was made from used lumber, acquired by tearing down a building (located at the corner of 5th and State Street, in Guthrie Center). In the winter of 1936, she watched neighborhood men clear the road of heavy snow drifts, using scoop shovels. The men also worked at telephone pole upkeep, labor which they referred to as their "Pole Tax"!

One day, when Florence was 16 and on her way to milk the cow, she stopped in her farm yard, because she could hear a car coming down the road. As she watched, the car went by, then stopped, backed up, and entered her driveway!

In the car were two young men and a young lady. One of the young men was 17-year old Max Titus. They were on their way to find a date for Max, farther up the road. But when Max saw Florence Louise, he told his friend, Gerald Sparks, to stop and go back!

Max got out and asked Florence if she would like to go for a ride with Gerald, Clara Rosenbeck, and himself. Clara went with Florence into the house to ask permission from her mother. After a long time, they came back to the car. Florence had changed from her "chore clothes" (shorts and a top) into a pretty dress, fixed her hair, and was wearing makeup. She told Max that her mom had said she could go, and that her Dad would milk that cow!

As they drove on down the road, Florence looked up at the full moon and said, "isn't that beautiful?" Max replied, "I've heard that if a boy kisses a girl, under a full moon, it will bring good luck." With that, he put his arm around her and gave her a kiss. She sat there, thought about it, then turned to Max and did the same in return! From that time on, they dated non other. It was love at first kiss, and that was seventy years ago!

Florence Louise graduated from Guthrie Center High School, Class of 1941. Because World War II was in action, she was issued a War Emergency Teaching Certificate and taught three years in rural schools.

On April 11, 1942, Max and Florence drove to Des Moines to pick up Max's sister Elnora, and her husband Floyd, to accompany them to Bethany, Missouri, where they were united in marriage by the same pastor that had married Floyd and Elnora. (Florence always said that Max never really proposed to her, but Max said that after he saw she was practicing writing her name as "Mrs. Max Titus", he figured he really didn't need to!)

When Max was 11 years old, his other died of pneumonia. It was suspected that this sudden loss caused his father to have a stroke, just three months later. His father suffered two more strokes, and passed away when Max was only 20 years old. After his father’s death, Max and Florence bought his dad’s farm, located three miles East of Guthrie Center (where Max had lived since he was two years old), and continued to work the land there. Three children blessed their farm home: Wyn Allen, Rickey Edward, and Etter Marlene.

In 1957, Max left the farming to Florence, along with sons Wyn and Rick, and started working as a Farm Bureau Insurance Salesman for Guthrie County. Then, in 1959, the family moved to Clarion, Iowa, where Max became Agency Manager for Farm Bureau Insurance.

Florence then attended the Eagle Grove Jr. College for one year, taking secretarial courses. She then took a position as secretary at the Clarion Memorial Hospital, and later as secretary at the Clarion City Clerk’s Office. In 1962, when Max left Farm Bureau to open his ow Independent Insurance, Real Estate, and Farm Management business, Florence became his office secretary and receptionist.

Other positions that Florence held were Chair-Person of the Valley Twp. Farm Bureau Women; Sunday School Teacher, as well as Secretary-Treasurer at the Guthrie Center Open Bible Church and Holmes Baptist Church; and Secretary for the Wright County Republican Women’s Organization. She also was a member of the Blairsburg Missionary Alliance Church and the Clarion First United Methodist Church.

Hobbies that Florence enjoyed were: gardening, canning, baking, sewing, quilting, knitting, darning, crocheting, painting, and hosting dinners, family gatherings, and reunions.

Florence accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior in 1943, and was baptized, by emersion, in 1952. She was preceded in death by: her parents, Emmett and Florence Beardsley; infant sister, Myrna Bethene; and sisters, Amy Smith and Irene Alexander. She is survived by: her sister Neva Earp, of Salem, Virginia; her husband (of nearly 68 years) Max Edward Titus; her children – Wyn Titus, and wife Saundra, of Lebanon, Missouri; Rick Titus of Clarion, Iowa; and Etter Watne, and husband Knute, of Galt, Iowa; along with eight grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren.