Nixa veteran of World War II hands down classic Fred Bear bow on his 100th birthday

An original Fred Bear bow — at least 60 years old, George BeDen estimates — was collecting dust in the Nixa resident's garage until it recently caught the eye of his great grandson.

BeDen hunted all types of game in his native Michigan as a younger man with the instrument. He was thrilled to know another generation of his bloodline, 17-year-old Noah Richardson, had developed a similar interest.

Richardson and more than two dozen other relatives from five generations were in Christian County last week to celebrate BeDen's upcoming 100th birthday on Aug. 22, a milestone occasion that brought family from as far as North Carolina. The bow became an unexpected and memorable part of the visit.

The teen offered to buy the vintage weapon, but BeDen declined. The World War II veteran, a former business owner and pilot, instead gave it to Richardson, who promptly found the nearest bow shop with his father to have it refurbished.

When an employee at Black Widow Bow in Nixa found out the bow had belonged to a veteran nearing his 100th birthday, the store fixed the bow free of charge as a gift.

"It was one of the first bows (Fred Bear) ever made," said BeDen, who survived three invasions as a member of the U.S. Navy.

Bear is widely known as the godfather of American archery, whose Bear Archery company is still among the most popular for hunters.

Passing down the bow and seeing it return to its original form was special for BeDen, a man who has been passing down historical context and stories from his World War II experiences for decades.

BeDen published a 16-page paper titled "As I Remember" about his his time in the service, coming out of the Great Depression, and what he saw as a minesweeper. His grandson, Stephen Ricardson, is a teacher in North Carolina, and BeDen had previously talked to the school's students about the war.

"He is always up to something. He is a very adventurous man,” Stephen said of BeDen. "And he tells the greatest stories."

When BeDen turned 90, he went skydiving. He is still active, but doesn't see himself jumping out of a plane again.

BeDen said he has cousins who aged 104 and 106, so he said he isn't too surprised to reach centurion status.

"You get to this age and it's just another birthday," BeDen said with a laugh.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Nixa veteran George BeDen hands down classic bow on 100th birthday