Page 66 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2021- Online Magazine

LOCAL LEGENDS

Paul R. Beane farmers, we
moved to
Greenville.”
That’s where
his baby sister
The Colorful joined the
Mary Beth

family.
Character When Paul

was a junior
at Greenville
from Stumptoe High School,
the manager

by Jane Bromley of the local
radio station,
KGVL, offered
him a job as a
t is said that Stumptoe in Hunt DJ, which he
people who County, Texas on took to like a duck to water. “After
Ihold strong February 17th of I graduated, I immediately moved
convictions only either 1939 or 1940. to Sulphur Springs, where I worked
see the world in (The birth year is a at KSST for a year and a half. Bill
black and white. mystery.) J.T. and Bradford taught me fabulous
Perhaps it could also Mary Beane were lessons in broadcasting and life. In
be said that those sharecroppers. 1959, I accepted a job at KTUE in
same people are the He was born at Tulia as their morning announcer.
colorful ones in an home in a little I'd always heard if you came to
otherwise gray sea of three-room house West Texas, it didn't matter who
compromise. with no indoor your parents were or if you had
plumbing – the money, you could get a job if you
Colorful is just one third of three boys. were willing to work.
of many adjectives
that can be used to Times were tough. “The station signed off at sundown,
characterize Paul An elderly black so, in the evenings, I hung out with
R. Beane. He is also man, Aaron a couple of buddies. One was a
energetic, passionate, Washington, professional card player, and the
opinionated, and affectionately other owned an ambulance service.
fearless. His story called “Uncle A”, We called up these girls to see if
has so many twists cared for little they wanted to get together. They
and turns that a Paul while his asked what we did, so I told them.
person could get parents worked in Immediately, I heard, ‘Click!’, but
dizzy just reading the cotton fields. we went over anyway. That's when
it, but Paul has His Aunt Clara I met Frances. We married June 17,
enthusiastically Beane was his 1960.”
embraced his life first-grade teacher
like a rodeo cowboy in a one-room Not long after, Paul took a job in
takes a bull by the school that housed DeRidder, Louisiana. It was “a
horns. all twelve grades. really good job”, but they were
In 1948, “after expecting their first child. “I quit
He was born in the bank decided when Frances was six months
the tiny village of we shouldn't be pregnant. No offense, but I did

66 Lubbock Senior Link