Victoria MN Newspaper-Beddors

Son John and his wife Colleen live in Plymouth. They have four children. John works in sales at Metropolitan Ford in Eden Prairie. Colleen is a mother and homemaker.

Daughter Mary and her husband Mike Meuwissen live in Mayer. They have two children and two grandchildren. Mary, a former mayor of Victoria, is an owner at Counselor Realty in Victoria and works in home design. Mike is a home builder.

Son Billy works at Opportunity Partners and lives in Hopkins.

Son Patrick and wife Meleah live in Hopkins. Patrick is part owner and in sales at Japs Olson. They have three daughters. Meleah is a mother and homemaker.

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The Beddor family lived 13 years (1956 to 1969) on Lake Minnetonka at Casco Point and then in 1969 moved to Casamita Road at Smithtown Bay. “We did a lot of water skiing with the kids,” said Bea, “and also downhill skiing in Colorado.” Family athletics was contagious. Today Debbie and Brian run. Sandy bikes and mountain climbs. Mary was a champion downhill skier. Their grandchildren are also athletic.

Did Bea have outside help while raising the kids? “I had a cleaning lady once a week and a summer girl to help drive the kids to their activities,” she said. “An extra pair of hands was always welcome.”

“I had rules,” she added. “Everything had to be done by 10 o’clock -- breakfast, beds made, things picked up, teeth brushed -- and then from 10 to 12 noon we could water ski. I never wanted to walk back into a dirty house.”

Who was the disciplinarian? “I’m afraid I was,” said the honest lady. “Bill would give me a lot of advice and suggestions and then walk out the door. I always wondered what was the matter with the way I was doing it. He did let me drive the new old car and he took the old old car.”

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Words of wisdom for young people today? Said Bea, “They are wise to take advantage of all that’s being offered. A lot of doors are being opened to them. Language classes and dance lessons and so many other classes are offered here at the Victoria Recreation Center and through Community Education, and they are very inexpensive. There are wonderful activities if kids want to get ahead.”

“Above all,” she added, “they should be true to their Christian faith ... and know the U.S. Constitution backwards and forwards ... and stay on top of current events.”

Said Bill, “That’s the same thing our grandparents would have said. It’s just as true now as then.”

“But they’re not getting things in school like we did,” countered Bea, “nor at home. In my day, people felt sorry for a mother who had to be out working and the husband couldn’t support the family. Today everybody has careers including young mothers.”

“I think our grandchildren have so much more going for them than their parents had,” said Bill. “For example, we have a 28-year old grandchild in Peking brushing up on the Mandarin Chinese language. And they have high tech computers, tablets, iphones, digital photo albums. They’re like miracles. It’s hard to keep up with all of it.”

“Everything does seem to be a miracle,” agreed Bea. “Even television is a miracle that appeared in our time, and cell phones and computers. Jobs for young people have really changed. In our day we could get a job as an elevator boy.”

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