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Note: Donald was one of 6 children in the Beyer family. He rode a Harley Davidson motorcycle when he was younger, and during WWII he dropped out of high school and joined the Navy . Don served on the pacific island of Guam as one of the 'SeaBees' with the rank of "Engineman Third, EN3," receiving an honorable discharge 21 Apr 1948. After the war, Don worked as a long-haul trucker based out of Racine, WI.
Don met his future wire Beverly in Racine, and in 1948 they eloped to Kalamazoo, MI to be married. Don & Bev moved to Arizona in 1955 for the health of their children. Some had asthma and the recommendation by doctors at the time was they had to move to a 'drier climate', recommending either Tucson AZ or Colorado Springs CO. The choice of moving 2,000 miles to Tucson with no family, home or job waiting for them must have been daunting.
In Tucson, Don worked as a firefighter from 1957-1966 and a long-haul trucker (teamster) with Hopper, Milne, and Consolidated Freight lines until his retirement in 1985. Don was involved in a trucking accident near Henderson, NV in 1982 when his truck jackknifed and he was thrown partially through the windshield. There were no significnat injuries, but soft tissue neck injuries ultimately resulted in his retiring earlier than planned.
Upon retirement, Don and Bev moved to Florence, Montana to be closer to son Brian, and a few years later followed the children to Coeur d'Alene, ID. Don died there in Coeur d'Alene of congestive heart failure and pneumonia on November 11, 1999.
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