Lyle Ray Beauvais was born Sept. 29, 1954, in Van Buren, Arkansas, to Roy Oscar Beauvais and Mattie Marie McEwen Beauvais. He joined two older brothers, Jack and Ted. He passed away Feb. 6, 2021, at his home in Lincoln.
Mattie and her three sons moved to a farm near Kramer in the late 1950s when she married farmer and musician Glenn “Gunner” Prochaska. Gunner also brought three children into the marriage. Lyle attended a rural school near Crete, and Crete Public Schools along with his siblings.
Lyle loved the farm, and working side by side with his step-father. He learned to create and adapt items to work to his advantage. This talent for fixing and repurposing things became a trait that would benefit him throughout his life. He especially used this talent with his love of old cars…faster was always better.
Lyle was a loving, generous child, but had an ornery streak.He enjoyed collaborating with his siblings and included them in various “projects.” Life was lively and interesting on the farm, and it certainly helped that two of his older brothers were also very adventurous and sometimes daring. For example, the boys often recreated the “Wild Wild West” on the farm. Many times the boys would run around with Mohawk haircuts and try rather dangerous experiments.
Lyle’s first jobs as a teenager were in the rural Kramer community where he worked with many area farmers. He was a very hard worker and admired for his dedication to whatever task he was doing at the time.
Lyle had a variety of interesting jobs during his working life and was always up for new experiences. He was employed by Hagemeier Lumber near Wilber, where he operated a sawmill before moving to California. In California, he became a firefighter.
Lyle was very creative. Throughout his life he made many artistic pieces. For example, during his firefighting period, he salvaged some slabs of redwood after battling a large forest fire, and made them into beautiful clocks. The artwork included detailed brass appliqués that he crafted. Family members were the lucky recipients.
After returning to Nebraska in the 1990s, Lyle worked for Plymouth Manufacturing, in Plymouth, designing jigs for many projects. He loved the challenge of that job, and was very successful at it. He then joined TMCO in Lincoln, a manufacturing firm that does a variety of custom work, and makes parts for farm equipment, motorcycles and more. In this job, Lyle ran a robotic welder, making contracted items. He loved demonstrating the welder when the public came for tours. He once again enjoyed the challenges at this company and learned computer programs to create the final product. Lyle retired in 2016 from TMCO in Lincoln after many years.
Lyle married Teresa Doremus Kirk in 1994 and became step-father to her two children, Kagan and Nicole Kirk.The couple made their home in Swanton and later divorced.
Lyle was preceded in death by his father, Roy O. Beauvais; mother, Mattie Marie Prochaska; step-father, Glen “Gunner” Prochaska; brothers, Robert Glen Prochaska, Jack Roy Beauvais (Joan), Ted Elton Beauvais (Janet); and sister, Donna Marie Kastanek (Kenny). He is survived by his sisters, Linda Sue Placek (Eric), Beverly Ann Saulters (Don), Glenda Loy Haas (Terry); step-children, Kagan and Nicole Kirk, and many nieces and nephews.
A service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, at Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete. Condolences may be left for the family at www.kunclfh.com.
