Andrew Monroe Beets. One of the leading members of the Washita County bar is Andrew Monroe Beets, who since 1908 has been engaged in practice at Cordell. He was born at Edgar Springs, Missouri, October 1, 1881, and is a son of J. E. and Mattie (Lamar) Beets. The Beets family originated in Holland and came to America during colonial days, settling in North Carolina, where the grandfather of Andrew M. Beets was born in 1832. From North Carolina he moved to Tennessee, residing at Knoxville until 1879, in which year he drove through with an ox-wagon to Edgar Springs, Missouri, where he became a pioneer farmer and stockman. In 1898 he retired from active pursuits and took up his residence at Vinita, Oklahoma, where he met his death two years later when his house was destroyed by fire. He married Miss White, who was born in 1835, and who still survives him and lives at Edgar Springs, Missouri.

J. E. Beets was born at Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1857, and in 1878 moved to Texas, but in the following year moved to Edgar Springs, where he was married to Mattie Lamar, who had been born there in 1864. He engaged in farming and raising stock, but in 1890 went to Wheatland, Hickory County, Missouri, where he still resides, being a well known and successful breeder of blooded stock, both horses and mules. He is prominent and influential in civic affairs, taking an active interest in the success of the republican party. His religious support is given to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and fraternally he is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mr. and Mrs. Beets were the parents of the following children: Andrew Monroe; Edmonia, who died in infancy; Oliver, a druggist of Redlands, California; Luella, who is a teacher of expression in the Oklahoma schools; Clyde, living with his parents, who served a full term of enlistment in the United States army, being stationed along the Mexican border; Bertha, who is a teacher in the schools of Wheatland, Missouri; Ola, who is a senior in the Wheatland High School; and Edgar, who is a freshman at that institution.

Andrew Monroe Beets received the advantages of the public schools of Wheatland, Missouri, from 1890 until 1896, when his parents returned to Edgar Springs, and there he completed a high school course. He began in 1898 and for three years was engaged in teaching school as principle of the Yancy Mills school for three years. In 1901 he entered upon the study of law in the office of Robert Lamar, of Houston, Missouri, who was subsequently elected to Congress. In the meantime, in 1902, he had been admitted to the bar and had commenced practice at Houston, but in the fall of 1903 removed to the City of St. Louis, where he remained until May, 1906. Mr. Beets’ next field of practice was Foss, Oklahoma, and in October, 1908, he came to Cordell to engage in practice in the county seat of Washita County, where he occupies well-appointed offices in the State National Bank Building. His practice is general in its character, and Mr. Beets has been connected with a number of the leading cases tried in Washita County since his arrival. He is admitted to practice in all the courts, has a large and representative clientèle, and has made steady advancement in the confidence of his fellow-practitioners, as witnessed by his position as secretary of the Washita County Bar Association. He also belongs to the Oklahoma Bar Association. He has been a member of the Cordell Commercial Club since the time of its organization, and during six years of this time has been a member of its executive committee. Every progressive and beneficial movement has received his hearty support. He was the originator of the movement which resulted in the securing of a Carnegie Library for Cordell. in 1912, at a cost of $9,000, and since its inception has been vice president , of the board. In polities a democrat, Mr. Beets served Cordell as city attorney from 1909 until 1911 and rendered excellent service to the city of his adoption in that capacity. Fraternally, he is affiliated with Cordell Lodge No. 127, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. With his family, he belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church.

While a resident of Dixon, Missouri, Mr. Beets was married to Miss Nora Bysart, daughter of R. M. Bysart, a well known farmer of Canute, Oklahoma, and to this union there have been born three children: Dorothy, Walter and Helen, all of whom are attending school.