CAMDEN — By Wade Totty
Staff writer
The Bearden Bears honored the memory of Jackie Bevill on Friday night before the annual match-up with the Harmony Grove Hornets. Bevill - who passed away recently - had kept stats, written newspaper articles, and served as the voice of the Bears at Rogers Field from the 1950’s until 2018. The press box at Bearden is named in his honor. Many of his family members and close friends attended the game and were recognized at the pre-game ceremony.
Bevill was a close friend to this reporter and his family. We called him “Bro. Jackie.” He loved the Bearden Bears, but he also loved our Lord Jesus Christ. He was a faithful member of First Southern Baptist Church in Bearden where he served in many capacities including deacon, teacher, and music leader. He was an active member of the Fordyce Camp of the Gideons International - a group of Christian businessmen who support the placement of Bibles in most countries in the world. He also penned articles about his Bears for the Camden News for many years.
For this reporter, it was a little sad to be at the first game at Rogers Field after Bevill’s death, but in God’s providence it seems fitting that the record of that game was penned by someone touched in many ways by “Bro. Jackie.”
He would have done a better job, and he wouldn’t have liked the outcome, but he would still be optimistic about the future. For him, there was always the next game, and for over 60 years, he was right there telling all about them. The games continue, and so do we!