James Ebb Beavers

J E (Jim) Beavers was born in the Mississippi River Delta town of Kelso, Arkansas, June 3, 1925. He passed away on January 16, 2026, at the Evergreen Care facility, Owasso Oklahoma. He celebrated his 100th birthday just last summer. He loved his family, his Lord, playing golf and OU Football! He, his mom and sisters moved to McGehee AR after his father died and his mom remarried. He gained two stepbrothers and a stepsister. They enjoyed the good times and the bad times of growing up in the 1930's in the small farming community. Jim now had some brothers, who he worshiped. Both the stepbrothers, Charlie and Frank, were excellent athletes. Jim, not so much. But he tried and gave it his normal 110% efforts. His sophomore year when he tried out for the McGehee Owls football team, he realized that he was going to be "last string" when the shoes that they gave him had tape holding the soles on, otherwise they flapped when he ran in them. However, He excelled in schoolwork which was evident with his getting a Chemical Engineering degree after WWII from OU. Growing up during the great depression in the south was difficult. Dad helped the family by selling newspapers, selling extra milk from the family cow and just about anything else he could do to make some money. He was very proud of his achievements in those difficult times. He told us that there was nothing he could do that would cause him embarrassment. He had been humbled many times growing up including having to clean up the "leftovers" on the high school football field from their dairy cow, which was allowed to come eat the grass. As he cleaned up the "patties, "before a game, the crowds, coming into the stands, would cheer him on. After he graduated from high school, he joined the U S Army Air Corps and in 1944-45 served in the South Pacific as a navigator on an air sea rescue PBY aircraft picking up downed pilots. Landing and taking off in 5-foot waves was a terrifying experience. After the war ended, he returned to McGehee then started college at Arkansas A & M in Monticello AR, home of the fighting "Boll Weevils!" There he met Laverne Smith after being introduced by his sister Helen. As they met, he said to her my name is Beavers, when you get to know me better you can call me "Jim." She found out in a hurry that this was a guy who never doubted himself as he had never been wrong... about anything! That same self-assured/very confident nature carried on throughout his life. They were married before he transferred to the University of Oklahoma where he completed his "Chem E" degree. The fact that he was at OU during glory years of coach Bud Wilkinson made it easy to become a solid fan. After he graduated, he got a job as a Junior Engineer with Arkansas Fuel Oil Corp and moved to the East Texas oil field town of Greggton. On June 30, 1949, he got word that his wife, who had gone back to her parent's house was headed to the hospital to give birth. He rode the bus all night to Monticello AR and found her room. It was NOT AIR CONDITIONED! This was in July, the heat and humidity of South Arkansas, so he ran to the town square and found and electric fan for her room. Their son, Jimmy was born on July 1. They then came back to Greggton where he worked at the "gasoline plant" becoming its superintendent. Their daughter, Linda, was born in Longview in 1953. He became known as a problem solver and so that meant that he moved to any location where there was an issue at a plant. The family learned to live out of moving boxes as they relocated to several diffident towns in Louisiana, Texas and finally to Oklahoma. The Cities Service Co. office was in Bartlesville, later moving to Tulsa. "J E" went up through the management ranks in the Gas Processing division including a brief time in Calgary Canada and New York City. When Occidental Energy bought Cities Service, they offered him a position continuing his overseeing of all NGL production but said that he would likely get transferred to Bakersfield Ca in the future, He ask what was option 2? He wasn't leaving Tulsa again. So, he retired at age 58. He helped with management issues at his church and a few small businesses. But he really concentrated on playing golf, eventually joining the Senior Men's Golf Association, and making great friends with many of those members as they played up to three times per week. He also made a few enemies, as those whose drive may have come too close to his foursome or who picked up a "gimmie" that dad didn't agree with; he was never shy about his opinion. But he loved the game and gained many close friends. He played actively until he was 95 and shot his age or under many times. He wouldn't allow his name in the newspaper when he shot under his age at South Lakes because the course was really "pretty easy." Golf was interrupted by OU football. Whenever or wherever it occurred. There were many trips to Norman, OU/Texas games, Bowl games all over the country and a couple of National Championship games. He also had recordings of every game for many seasons, which he would watch when it was too cold to play golf. He Loved the Lord and was a deacon/teacher in the many Churches he attended. After retiring he spent many hours working at and helping pastors at Eastwood Baptist Church in Tulsa and with the Gideons. When his wife, Laverne passed in 2008 after a long illness where he served and cared for her daily, he found that being alone was not good for him. After reentering the senior social scene, he met Jean Fryar who shared his love of dancing. They both, being widowed, started dating and then married in 2012. They spent many years taking worldwide trips, working in their church and loving grand and great grandchildren. Jean soon learned all about OU football and became a fan (like she had a choice!) They cherished the dinners with the "Bogie Boys" JE's fellow golfers. They stayed independent as long as they could, but Jim started to have health issues. They moved to Owasso Baptist Village where he became a resident of Evergreen Center. Jean lived in her own home a block away. She soon purchased her own "golf cart" so she could go see and stay with Jim every day. She really loved him and he her. She took great care of him, cooking wonderful meals and tending to him as his health digressed well before they moved to Owasso. She was with him when he passed. The family appreciates the care he received from Evergreen and Seasons Hospice. JE is survived by his wife, Jean (Eddie & Kaylin), his son, Jim (Sharon), grandson Bryan, his daughter, Linda Rosenthal (David-his favorite son in law!), granddaughter Erin Hill (TJ), great grandchildren Madeline & McKinley, grandson, Todd Rosenthal (Anna) and great grandchildren, Eli and Ella and numerous children of his brothers and sisters located all over Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama. He loved them all! A private family service will be held. Please make gifts in memory of J E Beavers to your local chapter of Gideons International.

James Ebb Beavers

June 3, 1925 - January 16, 2026