Rudolph "Rudie" David Beste

Rudolph David Beste of Route No. 3 Washington died Monday, December 06, 1982 at St. Johns Mercy Hospital, He was 64 years old. Rudie Beste was the son of the late John C. Beste and his wife Cecelia R., (Westhoelter} Beste was born November 14, 1918. He grew up and received his education in the Krakow area, He served in the U.S. Army in the 123th Infantry in the South Pacific from February 1942 through November 1945. Rudie was married May 21, 1949 to Meredith Boland and to this marriage two children were born, whom he leaves to survive. He was a member of St. Gertrude's Church in Krakow, the Union K of C, VFW Post No. 2661, and the Holy Name Society. He was preceded in death by his parents, and one sister, Irene Lause. Survivers include his wife Meredith (Boland) Beste, one son, Duane Beste of Washington, one daughter, Joleen Spaunhorst and her husband Mike Spaunhorst, one grandson Matthew Spaunhorst, eight brothers Bernard, Aloys, Harry, Adolph, Joseph, Robert and Tommy, all of Washington, James of Union, one sister Dolores Frankenberg of Washington, seven sister-in-laws, nieces, other relatives and many friends. Funeral services were held Thursday, December 9, 1982 at St. Gertrude's Church, Krakow, with Father Bernard Wilkens officiating. Interment was in the church cemetery under the direction of Cedarvalley Memorial Chapel. Taken from the Washington Missourian files.

Find A Grave Memorial# 43809698

Marker says: PFC US ARMY WORLD WAR II

Pvt. RUDIE D. BESTE, 123rd Infantry, Company A His WW II Story Written By Duane Beste Edited By Joleen Spaunhorst

When I was in grade school, one of our class assignment was to interview someone that had served in either WW I or WW II. Wow this should be easy, dad, Rudie Beste served in WW II along with six of his brothers. Boy was I wrong!

When I asked dad about his time serving in the army, I realized this was not going to be as easy as I thought. After a long period of silence he stated, “I fought against those nasty Japs there is nothing to tell you about that war.” Slowly he put down the newspaper he said, “you should talk to uncle Benny, he was sent to Africa, then fought in Italy under the command of Patton. Dad said Benny did not enter the service immediately because he was a married man. Your uncle Harry, he parachuted into France to fight the Germans. Your uncle Adolph drove a truck to deliver ammunition to the front lines in Germany.” He went on to tell me that Adolph”s truck was hit by a shell flipping the truck resulting in a broken noise. Dad also said that uncle Al was stationed mostly in Wyoming training other servicemen and working in a supply depot. Your uncle Joe he served in the Far East as a cook, he said Joe was the last brother to enter the army, he did not go into the service immediately, he was 6’8”and too tall for most uniforms. He said uncle Jimmy served in Hawaii. Cousin Rita would say that her dad fought in the “Grass Skirt War.”

Then dad showed me his army uniform, a Japanese rifle, several Japanese flags, and some coinage from the Philippines, Japan and Australia. This was all I remember of my report. Over the years he would tell stories about being in the service.

Dad said uncle Al was the first brother to enter the army. Al his enlistment was 12 January 1942 at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis. Dad was the second to enter the army he had been recruited at Krakow Store while having lunch.

Dad said when he entered the army he had to catch the bus at the Franklin County Court House in Union to Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis on 20 February 1942. When it was time to leave roll call was taken on the bus and two recruits were missing. The one man was from the Sullivan area who was just a few minutes late, the second was a man from the Berger area who was escorted by two Sherriff Deputies, he said they had to drag him to a seat on the bus, two hours late. At Jefferson Barracks the men received shots, a physical and a uniform.

Rudie received his basic training at Camp Forest, in Tullahoma Tennessee. Camp Forest was one of the U.S. Army 's largest training bases during WW II. It was an active army post between 1941 and 1946. After the completion of basic training he had a severe case of athlete's feet. The army sent him back home on leave for a week for a chance for his feet to clear up. Rudie return to Tennessee after a doctor at Jefferson Barrick’s approved the condition of his feet. This was in June 1942.

Upon returning to Tennessee he was told his unit was sent out to the east coast and he would meet up with them out east. After the army located the unit it was found that the men were already being readied to be sent overseas to Africa. It was determined that he would be placed with a unit either from Illinois or from Iowa that were currently in camp. Dad asked if he could join the unit from Illinois, this unit was half way into basic training so he entered for a second round of training. After basic he remained at Camp Forrest for about three months living out of tents. Camp Forrest officially became a prisoner of war camp on May 12, 1942. The camp housed Italian and German POWs. Prisoners became laborers at Camp Forrest, in the hospitals and on farms in the local community.

On September 1, 1942 Al was promoted to the rank of Sergeant at Fort Warren, Wyoming. During World War II, Fort Warren was the training center for up to 20,000 of the Quartermaster Corps. More than 280 wooden buildings were constructed without insulation and interior walls to temporarily house the increased number of troops. In the harsh Wyoming winter waking up in these barracks often meant shaking snow from one's blanket before heading for the just-as-cold communal showers. A prisoner of war camp was also constructed at that time.

September 1942 Rudie was sent to Fort Lewis, in Tacoma, Washington. The unit loaded onto a train in Tennessee that was going to travel through Washington, Missouri. He asked the train porter to wake him before going through Washington and to tell the engineer to wake the town with the train whistle The porter woke him just as they got to Hermann he said he walked to the back of the train to watch the sunrise,

The train ride from Tennessee to Tacoma, Washington had taken 5 days. They had seen deer, rabbits, ducks, turkeys and other wildlife, The train travelled through the mountains, several tunnels, and they had been to twelve states on there trip.

At Fort Lewis they were placed in barracks, a big improvements over the tents at Camp Forrest. Rudy’s regiment the 123rd Infantry of the 33rd Division was activated on September 28 1942 The men did training at Fort Lewis in the rain and mud that would prepare them for the dank jungles of New Guinea and the rugged Washington terrain gave then a preview of the fighting in the mountains and hills of Luzon.

One of the things at Fort Lewis, when they were given a pass for the day on Sunday there was an elderly couple that would invite Rudie and his army buddy Dean for lunch at their home which usually was fried chicken. The couple had an apple orchard. Dean was from Chicago, My name starts with “D”, dad liked the name Dean but not like the nickname Dino. The only other story I remember, there was a man in their unit that had a large jar of olives in his locker. When lunch or supper had olives this man would ask for the olives of the men that did not eat them. One night Dean and Rudie raided the man’s locker, eating all the olives. Dad said he got so sick of eating those olives that he never ate another olive.

October 22, 1942 Al was home on furlough he said he saw Pvt. John Meyer of Washington quite often at Fort Warren. Harry was the third brother to enter the army, Harry entered was16 December 1942 at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis. Adolph was the fourth brother to enter the army, Adolph entered: 18 February 1943 at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis. During World War II, Jefferson Barracks was a major reception center for U.S. troops being drafted into the military. It also served as an important basic training site for the Army. Jefferson Barracks was decommissioned as a military post in 1946 with the end of World War II.

In March of 1943 Rudie was given a furlough where he was able to travel home to Krakow. He first stopped was Fort Warren, Wyoming to see if he could meet up with Al. When he got to the base Al was off base for the day. When Rudie arrived home he found out Adolph was currently stationed at Fort Lewis for basic training where Rudie was stationed. Neither of them knew they were both stationed at Fort Lewis, Adolph found out after receiving a letter from home. After dad return to Fort Lewis he was able to visit Adolph and their cousin Ralph Marquart a few times before dad was sent for desert training, At Fort Lewis they were stationed only two miles apart. At that time Harry was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas.

After returning to Fort Lewis the 123rd Infantry was sent to California arriving on the Mojave Desert April 4, 1943 for desert training near the town of Fenner an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, California, From 1942 to 1944 Fenner was the site of the US Army training Camp Clipper. The unit was told they were being sent to Camp Clipper for training in being groomed for combat in North Africa. It was thought that the African Campaign was going to be a long and drawn out affair and many units were trained on the burning sands of the Mojave Dessert.

Dad said the first thing the men did was to set up tents, as they were setting up their tents a fellow soldier was placing ropes under the tents. In the middle of the night the man started pulling the ropes from under the tent yelling snakes scaring a number of soldiers out of their tents including dad. He also said they had rattlesnakes as a meal. He said it reminded him of fish.

The 123rd Infantry had the distinction of being the first infantry trained in desert warfare without motorized vehicles. Training in the dessert had been less than three months when they got word they were moving. The scope of their mission was changing. The fighting in North Africa was over and was being centered on Italy.

After the desert training at Camp Clipper, the 123rd was being sent to Camp Stoneman. Camp Stoneman was a United States Army military facility located in Pittsburg, California. It served as a major staging area for the Army in World War II. Camp Stoneman opened May 28, 1942, as Port of Embarkation for the Pacific Theater. Arriving June 22, 1943 the men received specialized training and with the regiment departing July 7, 1943 for Hawaii on the Brazil, a former South American tourist cruiser which had been converted into a troop carrier. Upon leaving the United States, Rudie went on deck to see the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco skyline and to watching it disappear as they left.

The troops arrived 6 days latter n Kauai. Hawaii July 13, 1943 for coastal defense, jungle warfare training, and amphibious training,. Expecting to be sent into action, there first duties overseas was the harvesting and planting of pineapples Dad said when he had a three day pass they would go to Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. In Honolulu on one leave Rudie went to a USO show. He said the man sitting next to him kept staring at him. Then he notice he was trying to read his name tag on his uniform. So dad started looking at this man, he looked familiar. At the same time they both recognized each other. It was Wally Hesch from Washington. At the time when Wally was enlisted he was a bartender at a bar where KLPW is now located. It was in eyesight of the Beste family farm. Sgt. Wally Hesch was in the US Coast Guard.

On there first amphibious training the men were taken out on a ship and were asked who knew how to swim. Dad said that before he knew it he was being thrown overboard for a swimming lesson. After the swimming lessons were over the next couple of training was the climbing of ropes into and out of the water.

Dad said Benny was the fifth brother in the army Benny entered: 7 October 1943 at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis. Harry arrived in England on 11 January 1944.

In April of 1944 Rudie wrote the Missourian, which he said he was in Hawaii, that Kauai was the garden spot of Hawaii. Lots of flowers, pineapples, coconuts and palm trees. He talked about how green it was and the waterfalls. He said on his days off he would go golfing, swimming, fishing or to a USO dances. In April 1944 he said Benny was in Alabama, Al was in Wyoming, Harry was in England and Adolph was in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Dad said most of the time they was guarding the beaches on the lookout for another attack by Japan. On cool night or if it was raining they spent their time guard duties stationed in pillboxes, otherwise they spent it on the beach. They would chase the kids on the beach when they were on duty, the kids would climb up the coconut trees and throw coconuts at them. Time for a snack. On April 13, 1944 the 123rd Infantry left Hawaii for New Guinea.

On route to New Guinea dad said they had a big party crossing the equator. The men were initiated into the Mystic Order of the Deep, There was a King Neptune, his queen, their baby, jesters, magicians, and pirates that were all dressed up. The men were given rigorous treatment throughout the day.

The 123rd landed in Finschaven, Australia New Guinea on May 11, 1944 and setup camp 12 miles up the coast, New Guinea was rainy and muddy, When they arrived in New Guinea a lot of their time was spent unloading ships. There was a backlog of 5o ships when they arrived.

Dad talked of the natives of New Guinea. They wore very little clothing. The women worked on the docks and worked with unloading of ships. He said they wore skirts or shorts and were bare from the waist up, most barefooted. He said the women worked as hard as the men. The native men wore shorts and again mostly barefooted. The men mostly helped with guiding the soldiers thru the jungles.

The infantry was constantly doing patrols. On one of the longer five day patrol they spent the night or several nights in pillboxes Dad said one morning they woke up in the pillbox to find the Japanese camped on top of them, for ten days they had to be silent. He said by the time the Japanese left the area he was dirty and he had a full beard. He said he was so happy to shave.

Adolph was stationed at Camp Phillip, Kansas in May 1944 he was there along with Ralph Marquart and Ralph Elbert. Benny was home on leave 24 June 1944 from Fort McClellan, Alabama where he received his basic training. He was to report to Fort Meade in Maryland 7 July 1944, he then arrived in Europe 12 August 1944.

The 123rd Infantry, on 20 August 1944 was sent up the coast to Dutch New Guinea for employment against the Japanese in the Toem-Sarmi area. They arrived September 1, 1944 at Maffin Bay relieving the entire 31st division, for operations as Tornado Task Force. Guarding the Wakde airstrip, along with supplies and ammunition dumps. The location of the Japanese camp was four miles up the coast. Due to their infantry group size compared to the full division that they had replaced the perimeter area was minimized. This area was under constant attacks by the Japanese. When the 123rd took over the Toem-Sarmi area, there were around 2,000 Japanese in the area with 1,400 of them identified as combat troops. When the Regiment left the area for combat on Luzon the total number of enemy killed in that sector, including those accounted for by preceding troops, had been swelled to 4,005.

Dad said his first initiation into war was seeing a lieutenant the leader of their patrol group shot by a sniper. He had just called the men together and started to give them instructions when he was killed.

In the Jungles of New Guinea they saw parrots, Birds of Paradise, tree pigeons as large as turkeys. and snakes that were as big around as his arm. He said the jungles vegetation was so thick that their were times you could only see the person ahead of you. He would talk of the flowers, plants, and trees, along with the mud, rain and swamps. Rudie came down with malaria while in New Guinea he said he spent a week in a field hospital. He also received a furlough while in New Guinea where he went to Australia on a Navy ship going for supplies. I do not remember were it was but on TV they showed a place in Australia and dad made the comment that was one of the places he had seen while in Australia.

Al was the first brother to be discharged from the army. His separation from the army was 12 January 1945 at ASF Regionel Hospital, Ft. F.E, Warren Wyoming. Honorable Discharge due to medical inflammation of gallbladder. His rank was T/Sgt US Army WWII Supply Technician. Al had served for exactly three years.

The 123rd infantry duties were completed in New Guinea and they left Maffin Bay 26 January 1945 and they were being deployed to Luzon in the Philippines.

The 123rd Infantry landed at Lingayan Gulf on Luzon in the Philippines 10 February 1945 setting up camp in the rice paddies near San Faban. Three days latter they set up positionsi on the front lines, their goal was the town of Baguio. In one of their fighting Dad said Company A had the high grounds when they spotted Japs in the valley below. The company spreading out across the mountain ridge and started to engage the enemy. In the morning the men found the Japanese had left the area during the night. It was later on that they found out Company A had taken on an entire Japanese battalion. .
On one of their patrols in the Philippines they were given instructions to check out a few islands. The men had made their ways to the islands in rafts. After completing a search of one island they found their rafts had been shredded They had to remain on the island until rescue could be made the next day.

Jimmy was the sixth brother in the army. Jimmy entered 17 February 1945 at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri. Jimmy came home on leave 6 July 1945 after basic training at Camp Hood, Texas. He was to report back to Fort Maxey in Lamar County, Texas. Adolph arrived in Europe 15 July 1945, he had been stationed at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas. Jimmy arrived in Hawaii 29 August 1945.

Upon completion of their objective in Luzon, Rudie said he was on a ship off the Philippines islands. They were going to be in the first wave of troops going to be sent to attack Japan. They were told high casualties were expected. He said they were placed on hold then word came they had bombed Japan, followed by the surrender of Japan August 1945.

The 123rd Infantry Regiment as a whole took part in some of the longest and bloodiest campaigns of the US Army during World War II and it suffered a total of 96 combat casualties. Its relatively low casualty rate is a testament to the long and intensive training the unit underwent before engaging in combat.

In the Philippines they received instructions for occupation of Japan’s home island Honshu. On 20 September 1945 they left the Philippines.

On 25 September 1945 the company landed in Wakayama, Japan then boarded trains for Takarazuka, Japan were they set up operations for occupayion. During the occupation of Japan, one of their duties was to disarm the Japanese people. Rudie said they would go to a neighborhood and setup a collection point. He was on duty for security when an older Japanese man brought in a Jap army rifle. The man was quite upset about having to give up the gun. After screaming about the proceeding the man grabbed his gun and started to leave, when he walked by Rudie he head butted the man with the stock of his own rifle knocking him out. Rudie took the gun and threw it over his shoulder. He said when the man came to, he left screaming and shaking his fist. Rudie took the rifle back to his barracks took it apart, cleaned it, and stashed it in his duffle bag.

It was shortly after this when he was told he was heading home. Any guns had to have the imperial mark removed and tagged for processing. Rudie said he thought about it, he had this gun in his duffle bag he was not going to remove it. This Japanese rifle and bayonet was two inches longer then the height of the average Japanese soldier. The gun was made in 1912 to fight against the Chinese.

Rudie had enough points in the service he was going to be able to fly home. The men jumped on a truck to the airfield. When they got their they were loading wounded soldiers. The airman motioned the men to get on board. What were they going to do with the remaining wounded soldier? They were told that they would be back next week or they would be placed on a medical ship when it return. The men told the airman to keep filling with the wounded they would wait. They were told if they left now they could make it to the docks they could catch before it left.

After scrambling to get back they finally made it to the ship in time. On the way back home the ship was struck by a typhoon. Rudie thought here I made it threw the war now I am going to die in a storm. Another thing on the ship in the middle on the night the men were awaken to come to the deck. It was determined that the rifles they had should not be brought home. The tag guns were tossed into the ocean.

Rudie said on the ship they were told they would be going back to Fort Lewis but once they were back in Seattle the men either could go to the bus station or train station to their orginal point of enlistment. After arriving in Seattle, Washington on 10 November 1945 Rudie headed to Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis by train.

Dad said he was the second one to be discharged from the army. Separation from the army was 20 November 1945 at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri Rank: PFC US Army WWII Company A 123th Infantry. His discharge paper show Battles and Campaigns: New Guinea Campaign and Luzon Campaign Decorations and Citations: Two Bronze Star, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Pacific Asiatic Theater Ribbon, American Theater Ribbon, World War II Victory Medal, and Four Overseas Bars Honorable Discharge. Rudie had served 3 years and 9 months.

Dad said he was given a bus ride to the train station. He said when he got to Washington he saw his mom from the train there were a number of other people waiting for others. He said he kept it together until he recognized the young women standing nest to his mom was his sister Dolores. He had been gone a long time.

Joe was the seventh brother in the army. Joe entered 18 February 1946 at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri, Joe arrivedt to the Orient 3 September 1946

Adolph was the third brother home from the war his Separation: 28 Nov 1945 at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas Rank: Corporal in Company D 324th Infantry. Battles and Campaigns: Rhineland, Northern France, Central Europe Company Decorations and Citations: Good Conduct Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Theater Ribbon, Three Bronze Star, American Theater Ribbon, Overseas Bars 2. Honorable Discharge. Adolph served 2 years 11 month and 12 days

Harry was the fourth brother home from the war he left Europe 10 January 1946 and his Separation: 25 January 1946 at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri. Rank T/5 as a Radio Operator in Hq Btry 111th AAA Gp Battles and Campaigns: Central Europe Decorations and Citations: World War II Victory Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon, American Theater Ribbon, One Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, and Four Overseas Bars Overseas. Honorable Discharge. Harry served 3 years 1 month and 9 days.

Benny was the fifth brother home he left Europe 1 April 1946 discharge from the war 20 Apr 1946 at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri. Rank: Tec SGT US Army WWII 218th QM Company Battles and Campaigns: Rome-Arno Decorations and Citations: World War II Victory Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with 1 Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, and Three Overseas Bars. Honorable Discharge. Benny served 2 years 6 month and 13 days.

Jimmy was the sixth brother home from the war he left Hawaii 21 September 1946 and his discharged was 6 November 1946 at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, United States Rank:PFC US Army WWII HQ Company AF as General Carpenter. Decorations and Citations: World War II Victory Medal, Asiatic Pasific Theater Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, and Two Overseas Bars Honorable Discharge. Jimmy served 1 years 8 month and 20 days

Joe was the seventh brother home he left Asia 21 March 1947 was discharged 27 April 1947 at Fort Lawton, Washington, United States Rank:Tec 4 US Army WWII 24th Med BN Company AF as Cook Decorations and Citations: World War II Victory Medal Overseas Bars: 3. Honorable Discharg. Joe served 1 years 2 month and 9 days.

From 12 January 1942 till 27 April 1947 which was 5 years, 2 months and 15 days the Beste Family had been affected by the war. During this time 7 brother served their country. As a family we should be proud of our family and thankful for their service.

Military Service Record for Rudie D. Beste induction: 20 February 1942 at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri, United States Separation: 20 November 1945 at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri, United States Rank: PFC US Army WWII Company A 123th Infantry Battles and Campaigns: New Guinea Luzon Campaigns Decorations and Citations: Two Bronze Star, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Pacific Asiatic Theater Ribbon, American Theater Ribbon, World War II Victory Medal, and Four Overseas Bars Overseas: 13 July 1943 to 10 November 1945 Civilian Occupation: Truck Driver Honorable Discharge due to Convenience of Government

The Beste Brothers

The Beste Brothers

The Beste Brothers Milk Service of Krakow, Missouri used to be seen travelling the former historic Route 66 and eventually I-44. Hauling milk from Franklin County dairy farms to St. Louis dairies. If observed, the tanker trucks would have had the name Beste Brothers. The two primary drivers were Rudy and Joe Beste, along with relief driver Adolph Beste. If you think the three brothers involved with the former family business known as Beste Brothers were the only family members in the milk hauling business this is just the start. Harry Beste drove a milk truck for Homer Ryker full time, Al Beste delivered Pevely Dairy products to grocery stories in the Franklin County area. Then there were brothers Benny, Jimmy, Bobby and Tommy Beste that’s right nine brothers, whom all at one time ran the milk route, along with Dad and Mom, and sister Irene.

The milk hauling business started with their dad, John Beste in 1923 hauling for three producers, using his Model T Ford. Mom, Cecelia Beste and their sister Irene did not get involved in the business until World War II. Even though mom never learned to drive, Irene would drive the milk truck and Mom would load the milk onto the truck. That of coarse was when milk was picked up in cans, 85 pound cans at that! When Joe started hauling milk at 18 years old, Mom and Dad sent Irene with him until they were comfortable with leaving him to handle the milk route and delivery on his own.

Over the years the Beste’s primarily delivered milk to only two dairies, Missouri Valley in Washington, Missouri and Pevely Dairy in St. Louis, Missouri, however over the years there were occasions when deliveries were made to other St. Louis dairies, such as Raskus, Woodlawn, Sealtest, Kroger and others.

The Beste’s had hauled milk from some of the milk producers for two generations and at least in one case three generations. At the Luecker Dairy Farm in New Haven, Missouri the Beste’s hauled milk for Adolph Luecker, then son Willard Luecker, and then his grandson Steve Luecker.

The milk hauling business originally started with milk cans, becoming the Beste Brothers in 1948 with the purchase of the Eggenberg milk route along with their dad’s milk route. In 1952 they purchased the Hoerstkamp milk route. In 1955 the first bulk milk tank truck was purchased by the Beste Brothers and December 11, 1955 the first pickup of milk using a bulk milk tank truck was made by the Rudy Beste. Lavern Beste remembered the date because Adolph showed Rudy where Alphonse Gildehaus farm was, because Sandy was baptized on that Sunday. The first bulk tank route were 8 farms, Oscar Everet, Fred Gildehaus, Alphonse Gildehaus, Joe Voss, Walter Pohlmann, Carl Brothers, Robert Coach and Wilbert Holtmeier. Six months later a second tank truck was acquired. December 11, 1955 may have been the first milk pick up by a bulk tank in the state of Missouri. At the same time the Beste Brothers Milk Service was changing to the bulk tank method another milk hauling business in the Springfield, Missouri area was also being started.

In 1955 the grade C milk route the Beste’s delivered to Missouri Valley in Washington ended and Adolph went to work hauling propane gas, he stayed on as relief driver and bookkeeper for the milk hauling business. In June 1957 the Beste Brothers were named distributors of Pevely dairy products, at the time Al Beste was unemployed and he became the delivery driver. Later this part of the business was transferred to Al.

Krakow, Missouri in Franklin County was the home of the Beste’s along with one other sister Dolores. At the peak of the milk hauling business the Beste Brothers hauled 75,000 pounds of milk daily, from about 60 dairy farms, by the 1980’s it was half of that amount.

The Beste Brothers Milk Service had a tractor trailer, on a Thanksgiving Day Rudy and Merideth were going to Merideth’s mother for Thanksgiving after delivering the milk cans at Pevely Dairy. On the way to St. Louis on Route 66 between Times Beach and Valley Park was the hill at powder valley. Dad would say someone running could beat the truck up the hill. There was a no passing zone on the hill, upon reaching the top of the hill the Missouri Highway Patrol had pulled over a dozen cars that passed him on the hill.

When the Beste Brothers were hauling can milk, there were times they would pick up freight and deliver to Washington. Most of hauls were furniture for Otto Furniture store. When the business was transitioning from can milk to bulk tank, about the same time they started to look at possibly purchasing Fischer Transfer Company. After applying for permits and licenses they were met by a lawsuit filed by the railroads that provided freight service to Franklin County. After the debt of buying the new tank trucks and the estimated cost of expanding to hauling freight, the cost of fighting the lawsuit was too much.

The third generation of Beste, even though they helped with the family business, they declined to continue milk hauling as a profession. Joe’s sons David, Neil, and Roger Beste drove the milk route as relief driver for several years. When Rudy Beste had a stroke in June of 1982, Rudy’s son Duane Beste drove a milk route for over a year.

I remember the first time driving the milk truck by myself. Uncle Joe took me over to the Raymond Schroeder farm to meet a health department milk inspector to take a test for a license to haul milk. Joe said to just act like you know what you are doing. The inspector complained that I did not have any formal training. Joe told the inspector that I had a lifetime of training and knew more than anyone that went through the training classes. The inspector noted only one error, I had my milk hauling license, and I took Joe back home and completed the milk route. The last day I drove the milk truck was December 5, 1983, the next day December 6, .1983 was the 1st anniversary of dad’s death and I started my first day in the quality office at RTI Tradco where I was employed.

In 1989 Joe Beste retired from the milk hauling business and sold the milk route to Ken Glosemeyer ending the family milk hauling legacy spanning 65 years.

Duane Beste

Memories from riding on the milk truck.

Sandy rode with her dad and grandpa Beste to Arther, Illinois to pick up one of the tanks for the milk truck’s. She said they talked the whole way, except they left her out of the conversation, they were talking in German.

Some of my memories on riding along in the milk truck was all of the wildlife. I was about 6 years old the first time I saw a deer, it was a large buck at the intersection of Hwy Y and Hwy E near Dissen, and I was about 10 the first time I saw a flock of turkeys at the intersection of Hwy YY and Hwy Y near Detmold.

Some of the earliest memories of riding on the milk truck was going to grandma Boland’s apartment, she lived about 15 minutes from the dairy. I remember sitting in the window watching for the milk truck to arrive a day or two later to go home.

The changes over the years seen from the milk truck. The building of the Gateway Arch. I remember going down Hwy, 40 were you could see the arch going up, but at the dairy the window from the testing lab there was a great view of the arch. Driving past the construction of the St. Louis Planetarium in Forest Park and I remember the first Christmas after construction when some college students put a big red bow on it as a prank that became a St. Louis tradition.

The biggest changes were the road systems. The building of the Interstates, the changing of the intersection at highway 100 from Route 66 to I-44. You would enter on to Route 66 at the Diamonds restaurant and gas station. Across from the old Gardenway Hotel was a weight scale station. I only remember dad being waved in once. My question to dad was had he ever been overloaded when crossing the scale. He said one time in the tractor trailer he was overloaded on the cab of the truck. He took the most forward can of milk and pulled it to the back of the trailer. Then he drove back across the scale, within limits. When driving to the City of St. Louis you took Watson Road or Manchester Road. What took an half hour of driving from Manchester or Crestview to Grand Avenue in St. Louis now takes a few minutes.

Some of the milk shippers that I remember were Frank Miesner, dad got fresh eggs from them. Roy Koch, his son worked on the Washington Special Road District, no matter how much snow was on the road dad knew he could get to their farm. James Whitworth, I remember him mostly because of the building of the “new” Hwy 47 that was built between Union and Washington in the 60’s and the first farmer I remember getting out of the dairy business. Alphonse Gildehaus his farm sat on top of the hill at the corner of N. Goodes Mill Rd. and Hilltop Dr., the turn on to Hilltop was a steep climb, and I remember dad pointing out a group of “hippies” cutting marijuana plants near the intersection. Victor Voss, his milk tank had a dent in it and the agitators brackets were bent, when the milk tank was delivered after unchaining the tank from the truck bed the tank rolled off the truck. The Schlipp Farm, brothers Harold, Lawrence and Ed along with sister Kate, the farmers were on strike once for more money for their milk, when dad got to their farm they asked him about what the other farmers were doing, there were two shippers that had dumped their milk down the drain, Harold and Lawrence wanted to dump the tank, Ed and Kate wanted to ship, they finally agreed to dump half and ship half of the milk. The Carl brothers, Merlin and Joy they had Brown Swiss milk cows, once a year their church had an ice cream social, dad would bring them a box of dry ice from Pevely Dairy for the social. Don Bredemeyer lived on Good Hope Rd. off of Hwy E near Senate Grove, when the spring thaw came Don would meet dad before the second bend in the road with his biggest tractor, he had to help by pulling the milk truck about a mile down the road through the mud. Reuben Rohlfing, he had some deer hunters come out of the city with a big RV, they incorrectly shot one of his cows. Ruby Pehle, I wonder how many times dad had to wait for someone to move the farm equipment or a truck in front of the milk house. Ray Meyer each summer he gave dad a bag of sweet corn. The Hilke farm, one year Mrs. Hilke brought over a bushel basket of beets to the house, she left her car on the road and locked the keys in the trunk, Roland Dobsh came over from Krakow Garage, he took the back seat out and I crawled in to retrieve the keys. Melvin Sullentrup and son George, one would always put a tin cup under the tank drain after dad removed the pickup hose, then removed the cup when the first water rinse pushed the last of the milk out of the tank.

Snow days were my favorite time to ride along on the milk route. I remember going to Raymond Schroeder, North Four Mile Rd, had a six feet snowdrift blocking the road when dad stopped at the snowdrift here came Raymond he had an ideal. The snow that ended up on the road had blew out of his field. He quickly took down his fence at the corner of the field, Dad drove through the field and out the gate at the other end of the field, then when heading to Wilbert Holtmeier on Four Mile Road he was stopped by a four foot snowdrift.

The blizzard of 1982 was one of the last times I road with dad. It had been a long day and heading home it was starting to get dark. On Hwy A at Pottery Road someone came running out on to the road. Dad hit the brakes to avoid hitting the man. The truck spun around 180 degrees and we headed down the hill backwards getting stuck in a snowbank. At that time there was a big ditch on the southside of the road. Modern Auto wrecker was parked on Pottery Road to pull the man’s truck out of the ditch. The tow truck driver backed his truck into the ditch on the northside of the road till it was stuck, the tow truck driver then hooked up the milk truck and was able to pull the truck out of the ditch. Dad then pulled the tow truck out of the ditch. We then drove over to the lumber yard to chain up the truck to get the last two miles home. I remember thinking later why had that man risked his life running out onto the road when dad went around the man’s pickup backwards just fine.

Duane Beste