Distinguished Alumni Dedicated to the NMSU Chapter

Mr. Charles Beer
Charles Beer KS'34, received the Master Builder of Men Award at the 1992 FH Conclave. He was nominated for this prestigious award because he was considered by many the "father of the NM chapter". Not only did he try several years to get the support of FH alumni in the area to start a chapter on the NM State University campus, he and his late wife, Elma, hosted the first meeting of local FH alumni in their home in June of 1985 with Ken Converse, FH Director of expansion. He was at the meeting in September of 1985 when the decision was made for NM to colonize. Mr. Beer was the first New Mexico FarmHouse Association president, serving from 1985 to 1989. He also served as secretary of the NM FarmHouse Association 1989-1991. Mr. Beer was a dairy inspector at the New Mexico Department of Agriculture from 1957 to 1967. He owned the Solano Dairy Queen (now located in the Pan Am Shopping Center) from 1967 till 1980.

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Mr. and Mrs. Keefer
Robert W. Keefer IL'51, is one of the few FarmHouse alumni to be a member of the FarmHouse Foundation Doane Club (at least $50,000 life time donations). He is special to the New Mexico chapter because he selected the NM president to receive his first "scholarship" to send a delegate to the FarmHouse Presidents Leadership Conference (PLC). Not only does Mr. Keefer sponsor the president of the NM chapter, but he now sponsors presidents of two other chapters to attend the PLC. He has visited the NM Chapter at the 1993 Founder's Day banquet, and he was at the 1994 FH Conclave when NM was presented the award for the most improved chapter. He also attended our Founder’s Day banquet in April of 2001. In addition to his support of the PLC scholarships, Mr Keefer and his wife Lorna provide academic scholarships to four members of the Illinois chapter. Bob passed in April of 2002 after a long battle with cancer.