Victoria MN Newspaper-Beddors

Bill commented on another noteworthy change in their lifetime. “I remember watching the famous Joe Lewis and his entourage being turned down at the Dorothy Lewis Ice Show at the Nicollet Hotel. Here was Joe Lewis, a guy we idolized and put on a pedestal, and they wouldn’t seat him because of his color. Finally they did let him into the show and put them in the back row, in the shadows, out of sight. I’ll never forget that.”

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Celebrating 65 years of marriage is like completing another marathon, the marathon of marriage. How did they do it? “Life has been good to us,” said Bill. “We’ve had our ups and downs but we dwell on the positives, not the negatives. It keeps you from being depressed. There’s been a lot of heartaches with all those kids and Bea’s health. I think Billy has been the thread that has kept everything going for us. He is as pure as the driven snow.”

“Bea and I are good buddies and good companions and we like each other,” he added. “We do more than tolerate each other.” Bill spoke of Bea’s recent health issues, including congestive heart failure three years ago, but it was resolved and things are good again.

Said Bea, “I think we are much better people today. Having ten kids in 20 years will straighten you out. You can’t be thinking of yourself all the time when you’re raising kids. I think the hardest part for me was not having any money in the early days. I could never buy a cute dress. I’d walk by the stores and look in the windows.”

Their Catholic faith has also been a strong thread in the marriage. For a long time Bill and Bea were members at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Mound, a church they still visit. They spoke of friendship with Bishop Paul Dudley and other priests they’ve known and traveled with over the years. “We’ve been blessed to know so many devout priests,” said Bea.

Why do so many marriages end in divorce today? Replied Bill, “There are few marriages today where they haven’t lived together first. That’s not a recipe for a successful marriage.”

Added Bea, “Young people don’t think of their bodies as being made in the image and likeness of God. Being together is a blessed event.”

Yes, God is a strong thread that is evident in the lives and also the home of Bill and Bea Beddor, where the Good Shepherd and St. Francis of Assisi are not strangers, where God and their son Billy go hand in hand. Billy has always loved being an altar server and he is thrilled when he gets to hold the Book at Mass for the priest. The spiritual thread is the Strongest Thread.

Bill and Bea continue to enjoy the comforts and luxuries of home today, including their summer home in Victoria and their winter home in Florida. But there’s lots to do before winter sets in. On September 30th, they headlined a fundraiser for Julianne Ortman who is running for the U.S. Senate here in Minnesota. The Beddors have played a big role in major fund-raisers for their favorite causes over the years, both political and charitable, including for Opportunity Partners where son Billy works today.

Happy 65th, Bill and Bea. Thank you for sharing some of your story and your strong lives.