Ercil V. Beane

Ercil Victor Beane, 93, of rural LeGrand died Saturday, October 25, 2008. Funeral services will be at 10:30 AM on Saturday, November 1 at the LeGrand Friends Church. Visitation will be Friday, October 31 from 6 to 8 PM at the LeGrand Friends Church.Ercil was born on January 14, 1915 on the family farm north of LeGrand, Iowa to Quaker parents Charles and Edna Ferguson Beane. The family lived on their farm or in LeGrand while Ercil attended school in Green Mountain and graduated from LeGrand in 1932.He attended William Penn College, Lincoln Chiropractic College and graduated from Palmer Chiropractic College in 1937. Upon graduating he returned to operate the family farm and establish a Chiropractic practice. He married Maxine Hoover on November 26, 1938 in an unprogrammed Quaker ceremony at the LeGrand Friends Church. Soon they moved to Maxines home farm west of LeGrand where they raised their family and lived the rest of their lives. Ercil had careers in farming and Chiropractic. He had a growing farm operation and was a strong supporter of Future Farmers of America and 4-H clubs. He was active inhis Chiropractic profession and later in life he traveled extensively, with his wife Maxine, to countries in Africa, Asia, Central America and the Middle East, demonstrating and promoting Chiropractic to people who had not experienced that healing art. They recruited and supported young people from those countries to study Chiropractic and return to their homes trained to heal others. He was a member of the Board of Regents at Sherman Chiropractic College and director of extension with Life Chiropractic College. Ercil had been a member of the LeGrand Friends Church where he taught the Mountain Boys Sunday School class for many years and was president of the LeGrand Quaker Mens organization. He served as president of the Iowa Quaker Men and the National Quaker Men. He also served on the General Board of the Friends United Meeting and their Wider Ministries Commission. He was on the board of governors of William Penn College and the development board establishing the Earlham School of Religion. He also worked with the executive board of the Friends World Committee and the Friends Committee on National Legislation. He is survived by 5 children: David (Judy), Daniel (Sarah), Marian, Evan (Cindy), and Joel (Rita). He is also survived by 10 grandchildren Kristin Beane Sullivan (Andrew), Laura Beane Freeman (Bryce), Wesley Beane, Heidi Koopman (Brett), Douglas Beane (Heather), Jon Beane (Jaime), Adam Beane, Patrick Beane(Laurie), Stephanie Weaver (Todd), Erin Beane, 13 great grandchildren, his sister Mary Lois Merryman and his sister-in-law Marjorie Beane. He was preceded in death by his wife Maxine, his parents, two infant siblings, his brothers Ernest and Donald, his sister Frances Watland and a grandson Matthew Beane. Memorials may be made to LeGrand Friends Church or Iowa River Hospice. Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Ercil and his family.