ILLNESS OF WEEK FATAL TO LEADER  

Prominent Citizen Recently Had 
Been Appointed Assistant Attorney General of Treasure State

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 CAME HERE AS A MINER  

 Served in Several Local and County Offices and in Legislature; Was Chief Magistrate for Two Terms  

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     M. Kerr Beadle, 60, former Butte mayor and prominent citizen of the Mining city for many years, died at 9:30 o’clock last night at St. James Hospital following an illness of one week.  He had only recently been appointed assistant attorney general of Montana.

     Mr. Beadle came to Butte 35 years ago as a Butte miner and later a hoisting engineer.  From the ranks of labor he entered politics and held various offices, always a Democrat. He studied law in his spare time while holding the office of county clerk and recorder and later served as chief deputy county attorney.  He was three times in the state legislature, once a member of the local school board, twice mayor and later was appointed as labor coordinator for Montana under the NRA.

     He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Minnie Beadle.  The family home is at 1237 West Granite Street.

     He was born in Indiana. At an early age he came West with his parents and located at Helena. There he attended primary schools. Later he attended Gonzaga University at Spokane.

     Coming to Butte at the turn of the century Mr. Beadle went to work as a miner.  He afterwards became a hoisting engineer and became active in that union, serving as business agent for the engineers until 1927.  It was while serving as business agent that he entered politics and was elected county clerk and recorder. At the expiration of his term he continued in the office as chief deputy under Dave Kehoe.  

Admitted to Bar

     During his years in that office and for some time before, he had been studying law.  He was admitted to the bar and became chief deputy county attorney under the late Matt Canning.  At the expiration of Mr. Canning’s term Mr. Beadle practiced law in Mr. Canning’s private office, later establishing an office of his own which he maintained to his death.

     Mr. Beadle was a staunch Democrat and attended many conventions of that party. He was ever a champion of labor and continuously active in behalf of the labor movement. He was said to have been endorsed by every labor union in the state for his recent appointment as assistant attorney general.

     He enlisted for the war with Spain in 1808 and was a member of the Henry Lawton camp in Butte.  He served three terms in the state Legislature.

 Elected Mayor

     Following a term on the local school board he was elected mayor.  He served two terms—from 1927 to 1931.  Leaving the office of mayor he became manager for the Gold Creek Mining company at Pioneer.

     When the Roosevelt administration came into power Mr. Beadle was appointed labor coordinator for the NRA.  Following the death of the NRA he was connected with the Federal Housing project. He was prominent in the Townsend movement and a member of the Butte Pioneer club.

     His widow, Mrs. Minnie Beadle, was constantly at his bedside during his last illness.  In addition to Mrs. Beadle he is survived by a brother, Edward Beadle—in Mexico—and a sister, Mrs. Mary Halloran of Washington, D.C.  The body is at the Daly-Shea mortuary.

 

Montana Butte Standard
Butte, Montana
Monday, August 2, 1937-Page 1

LAST RITES HELD 
FOR KERR BEADLE

Hundred Pay Respects for 
Services for Former Mayor

      In a flag-draped coffin M. Kerr Beadle, former Butte mayor, was laid to rest yesterday in the Spanish War Veterans’ plot in St. Patrick’s cemetery.  Ex-soldiers from all organizations took part in the military honors at the grave.  Hundreds of Butte and Montana citizens were there to pay their last respect.  The city hall flag fluttered at half-mast.

     Mr. Beadle died Sunday at a local hospital following a brief illness.  Only a few days prior he had been appointed assistant attorney general of Montana—one of many public offices he held since entering politics from the ranks of labor.

     Funeral services were held at Immaculate Conception church at 10:30 o’clock.  The Rev. Edward McGowan celebrated a requiem mass.  Responses were sung by Mrs. Kathleen O’Keefe and Tom Ferguson. The church was filled.   An escort composed of policemen, firemen and war veterans accompanied the body to the church.  The Silver Bow Bar association was well represented, as was the Butte Pioneer Club.

     The funeral cortege to the cemetery was one of the longest seen here in some time.  The Rev. Russell Scheidler carried out graveyard services of the Catholic Church, after which military honors were given by members of Henry Lawton Camp of Spanish War Veterans and other ex-service men.  Martin Hall was in charge of a firing squad composed of John Lane, Henry Young, Bert Mann, William Palmer, Nels Pearson, Henry Kaufman and W. O. Gilbert.

     Buglers were Ralph Rand and Arthur Clark.  The American Legion was represented by James McCashin, adjutant of Silver Bow Post No. 1.

     Tom Finn was commander of Spanish War Veterans who conducted funeral rituals of that organization  Others were Gar Donaldson, chaplain; Henry Kaufman, acting senior vice commander, and William Palmer, acting junior vice commander.

     Pallbearers were H. J. Freebourn, P. E. Geagan, Miles Romney, Clarence Hanley, M. H. Mulholland, E.  R. Ormsbee, J.  B. Garrison and Edward O’Byrne.

Montana Butte Standard
Butte, Montana
Thursday, August  5, 1937 - Page 5

LAST RITES ARE HELD FOR MRS. M. K. BEADLE

      Requiem high mass for Mrs. Minnie Kerr Beadle was celebrated yesterday morning in the Immaculate Conception church.

     Monsignor J. C. Willging was the celebrant of the mass.  Responses were sung by Miss Helen Malloy. Monsignor Willging also officiated at the grave.

     A large number of friends and relatives from Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Anaconda and Deer Lodge attended the services, and a special car was required for the many floral tributes.  Members of the Butte Pioneer Club and the auxiliary of the united Spanish War Veterans attended the services in a body.

    Pallbearers were Michael Mulholland, Patrick Geagan, Edward O’Byrne, J. B.  Garrison, J. W. Scott and Eugene Drew.

     Interment was in the Holy Cross cemetery.

The Montana Standard
Butte, Montana
Sunday, August 11, 1940 - Page 5