Elden Beebe honored for long-time membership

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Elden Beebe[/caption]

Aberdeen Village resident Elden Beebe was recently honored with an article in the Kansas Certified Public Accountant (KSCPA) newsletter. The article highlighted Elden’s career as a CPA in Dodge City, Kan., and also called attention to Jan. 29, his shared birthday with our great state.

Elden is a lifetime member of KSCPA, and has been certified since 1949. He is one of the longest-serving members in the state.

“I would have started my career sooner after graduating from the University of Kansas and taking my CPA exam, but I was called to serve in World War II,” said Elden.

Elden and his wife, Enid, settled in Dodge City, not far from Elden’s childhood home in Bucklin, Kan. They had three children, and Elden worked as a CPA until his retirement in 1979.

“While I enjoyed my work as a CPA, it was difficult to really leave it behind while still living in Dodge City. Folks would call me up and want me to still do their bookkeeping,” said Elden. “I tell people now, ‘If you want to retire, get out of town!’”

This is exactly what Elden and Enid did. They moved to a home they purchased in Port Aransas, Texas.

“We lived there for 12 years, and then when she started having health problems, we moved back to Kansas. One child was in Hutchinson, so that’s where we settled. We spent 23 years there in an independent living community,” said Elden.

After Enid passed away, Elden decided to move to Aberdeen Village to be closer to family in this area.

“I’ve been here nearly four years, and I like it. The food is good, and it’s nice to have the option of social activities, even if I choose not to go,” said Elden.Elden certainly has packed a lot of life into his 97 years, and fondly recalls the many travels he and his wife enjoyed during retirement.

“We had an RV, and went to every continental state, and also nearly every province in Canada. We also went on several cruises, and have even visited northern Africa and South America. I never regretted retiring, and am glad I retired when I did,” said Elden.

Although Elden was fulfilled by his career, he realizes today’s professionals may not be able to retire as early as he did, or enjoy the luxury of travel.

“I tell people to start saving early, and always plan for inflation,” said Elden. “So much has changed about the accounting field. In fact, I didn’t even learn to use a computer until after I retired. I enjoy technology now, though, and use a tablet for most things.”

Elden’s life of careful planning and grand adventure is inspirational, and we’re glad he is enjoying this chapter of life at Aberdeen Village.

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