Max Beigh grew up in Claypool, Indiana, just catty-corner from the Claypool United Methodist Church. After high school graduation, he attended Manchester College where he met his wife, Kathryn.
Max was a 1937 graduate of Manchester College and served in the US Army from 1942-1944. He was a teacher and administrator with the Anderson Community School Corporation until his retirement in 1962. Kathryn was a 1946 graduate of Indiana University and an elementary school teacher in Miami and Madison counties. She retired in 1975.
The Beighs were married for 71 wonderful years. Although they lived in Anderson, Indiana, they enjoyed summers at their lake cottage on Yellow Creek Lake in Claypool, Indiana, and wintered in Arizona for more than 30 years. Max and Kathryn often attended church suppers and special events of the Claypool United Methodist Church. Kathryn’s friends remember that she often wore beautiful, turquoise jewelry.
The Beighs did not have children of their own, but were dedicated to the children they taught. It was their desire to help young people achieve their educational dreams. So, they combined the high value they placed on education with their affinity for the Claypool United Methodist Church and they created a trust in which they left a portion of their estate to the church to establish a scholarship fund.
Max passed away on April 1, 2015, at the age of 100. Kathryn passed away on February 24, 2016 at the age of 99.
The elders of the Claypool United Methodist Church donated the Beigh’s estate gift to the Kosciusko County Community Foundation to administer the scholarship fund. Members of the Claypool United Methodist Church who are pursuing an education beyond high school may apply.