Francis Max Beam

Francis Max Beam, 95, of Washington, died April 16, 2021, at the Washington County Hospital.

He was born Sept. 24, 1925, to John and Stella Beam on a farm in Jewell County.

He graduated from Mankato High School where he played football and ran track. World War II had started, and he enlisted in the Navy as soon as he had graduated. He was 17.

In the Navy he served as a tail gunner on planes that flew off an aircraft carrier.

Max attended Kansas State Agricultural College, now Kansas State University, with the help of the GI bill. He went to Vet School and graduated in 1951. Upon graduation he started a veterinary practice in Washington. Veterinary practice at that time meant driving to small farms and treating sick animals, working cattle in chutes to dehorn and vaccinate, and occasionally treating small animals at the office. He also was the veterinarian at the local sale barn, which sold hogs and cattle each week. At one of the hog sales, he vaccinated 795 hogs in one day.

Max valued his association with the vets who have been at the Washington Veterinary Clinic through the years; Drs. Jim Smart, Ned Eib, Bob Randall, Bill Bryant, Dale Heisterman, Tom Dragastin, Pete Sherlock, Kenney Johnson, and Garrett Stewart.

Max served his community in various ways. He was a member of Rotary, City Council, Fair Board President, Board of Directors for the First National Bank, the local saddle club, and a 4-H project leader for the horse project. He also served as a trustee for the KSU Foundation.

Cutting horse competitions were relatively new in Kansas, and Max helped grow the organization. He was a board member and president of the Kansas Cutting Horse Association, board member of the National Cutting Horse Association, and was honored in Kansas as one of the "Legends of Cutting" by the Kansas organization.

Doc married his high school sweetheart, Gerry McCall. They had one daughter, Marilyn. He later married Virginia Eddleman, so then he had two stepdaughters, Mary Sawin and Geraldine Gibbs. He leaves these three girls and their husbands, Lonnie and Meyler; 7 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

A funeral service will be at 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 22, at Ward Funeral Home in Washington. Visitation will be from noon until service time.

Burial will be in the Washington City Cemetery.

A memorial fund has been established to KSDS for veterinary expenses for graduate teams. Contributions may be sent in care of Ward Funeral Home.

Washington County News • April 22, 2021