Faces of the Valley: Upper Burrell's Betty Beestrice has township's history at her fingertips

If you want to know something about Upper Burrell, ask Betty Beestrice.

You’ll not only get a detailed answer, but after she sifts through the numerous pictures, newspaper clippings and other documents she and her late husband, Bill, have collected over the years, you’ll walk away with at least 10 more facts or stories about area life.

The Upper Burrell woman — be it through the Shamrocks drum and baton corps, coordinating township holiday celebrations or collecting township history — has touched thousands of lives not only in Upper Burrell but across the Alle-Kiski Valley.

Beestrice, 87, grew up on Milligantown Road and joined the Shamrocks in 1950. Six years later, when she was 19, she took over leading the Shamrocks from Peggy Rametta.

“I marched for years for Peggy,” Beestrice said. “I went to help her and went to practice. I said I’d come back the next day, and she wasn’t there. She quit.”

So, soft-hearted Beestrice said, “I’ll stay until you find somebody.”

Finding somebody else to take the reins never happened.

Beestrice would lead the Shamrocks until 2000, when she retired from it and disbanded the Shamrocks.

“The kids were good. They were fun, and they worked hard, always. My favorite part about doing it was seeing the kids win — which they did, quite often.”

The Shamrocks performed in local and national parades, traveling and competing across the country. Beestrice said the drum and baton corps performed in 52 parades that year.

“Sometimes three in one day, if we could manage,” she said.

Each year had a theme, Beestrice recalled, which ranged from a circus, to James Bond to showboats.

At least 5,000 children were involved in the group over the years, she recalled.

Shamrocks was a family affair, as Beestrice’s daughters Amy Beestrice-Cromie and Becky Beestrice participated and later became instructors.

“It was a family thing,” Beestrice-Cromie said. “Dads drove the bus or vans, mothers walked beside us on the street.”

Every member was welcome and invited to travel to events, even if their family had hardships. Beestrice-Cromie remembered that if a family struggled to pay to go to something, they’d say: “Betty would take you anyway.”

Beestrice estimated that leading the Shamrocks was about 90% of her life.

If so, the other 10% was still jam-packed.

Beestrice was born and raised in Upper Burrell and said she married “the boy next door,” Bill. They were married for 52 years until Bill’s death in 2018. She worked at the PPG facility in Harmar.

“It was easy for us to live in Upper Burrell, because my mother and Bill’s mother were my neighbors,” Beestrice said. “They lived right up the road and could come up and watch kids.”

Even as a child, Beestrice was very involved. She was a pitcher on the Milligantown Farmettes baseball team and recalled a game against Tarentum.

“It was big, strong girls playing our Farmettes,” she said. “I got out on the mound and the umpire said quietly, ‘Instead of throwing the ball to the plate, throw it to second base.’ So I did it, and the girl was about 8 feet off the base. He called her out, the game was over, and we won.”

When Bill and Betty were younger, they were recruited by Michael Takosky to be township historians.

“My husband was responsible for that,” Beestrice said. “He collected a lot of things, and so do I. I’ve collected every picture in the newspaper of anyone in Upper Burrell.”

Once Beestrice retired from the Shamrocks in 2000, she and Bill turned their attention to coordinating events for the Upper Burrell social and recreation committee.

They headed that up from about 2005 to 2020, she said. Those events included holiday parties for children, and senior citizens’ events. Children’s events would attract more than 50 participants and about 100 would go to the seniors’ Christmas event.

Beestrice looks back on her time in the township fondly.

“It’s a small township, and people are all friendly,” she said.