Floyd Everett Beel was born to Leown Iri and Emma Jane Calvert Beel in Decatur, IL, on February 9, 1922. He joined the United States Army Air Corp, 8th Air Force in 1943, and was “specially selected for pilot training.” Lieutenant Beel piloted the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber for 27 missions over occupied Europe during World War II. He was responsible for eight crew members at the age of 21. Lieutenant Beel was discharged from the Armed Services in December 1945, and awarded the Air Medal and three Oak Leaf Clusters.
Upon being discharged, Beel enrolled at Logan College of Chiropractic, graduated in 1949, and began practice in Bloomington-Normal the same year. He retired in 1989 from a successful career of 40 years. Dr. Beel lived another 25 years, passing away March 21, 2014, at the age of 92. Before his death, he confided that he had been lucky and had had a good life.