The following is a reprint from the 1957, Volume 12, No. 2 Bulletin.
Recently an article was printed in the Des Moines, Iowa, “Tribune” with the title, “LeGrand Man, 77, Fossil Expert.” Members of our Society will immediately recognize this expert, Dr. Burnice H. Beane, whom we gladly welcome at our reunions. The specimens of Crinoid Fauna that have been exhibited to us are the fossils of star fish, sea urchins, trilobites, sand dollars, and sea lilies that resemble delicate patterns of lacework and all were found on the farm where Dr. Beane was born and discovered by him when a boy of 13, “the greatest concentration of fossils known in the world” to quote from the Des Moines Tribune.
To separate these specimens from the limestone in which they are buried is a time absorbing task. The tools area sturdy work bench, a stone mason’s hammer, a tooth brush and a fine needle gripped in a pin vise. After the slab of limestone has been split to reveal the fossils, the specimens are scrubbed to remove the limestone and the skeletons are cleaned with the sewing needle, a task that may require several hours or several months.
Dr. Beane, whose wife died years ago, has three sons. Louis, a bachelor, who lives with him, has become an expert toothbrush and needle worker, spending many hours on specimens. The other sons are Raymond, a LeGrand grocer, and Ralph, a school superintendent at Steamboat Rock.
The lineage of Dr. Beane is found on page 368 of the Clough Genealogy.
Please see this WikiTree citing for more information and a picture. Also refer to this Iowa historical article entitled, SB. H. Beane and the LeGrand Crinoid Hunters.