First official member 60 years ago, returns as widow to meet, marry new love in same church


By Jake Furman
NKyTribune reporter

Sixty years ago, Sharon Beebe became the first official member at First Church of Christ. Sixty years later she celebrated by getting married in the same church.

Steve and Sharon, newlyweds (Photo by Jake Furman/NKyTribune)

Call it luck – or divine intervention.

Beebe graduated Dixie Heights High School, fell in love and married her high school sweetheart, and moved to Texas for a few years for her husband’s job at General Motors. They eventually moved back to Northern Kentucky and built their dream home. Sadly, after 52 years of marriage, her husband Gerald passed.

“I needed the feeling of safety and love after his passing,” Beebe told the Northern Kentucky Tribune.

Enter, First Church of Christ where Beebe became the congregation’s first member. And little did she know, it was the beginning of a new life for Sharon Beebe.

“Harvey Bream introduced me to the First Church of Christ,” she said. “I said, ‘Yes,’ on June 2, 1964, and little did I know, I was the first member of the church.”

She remembers Wally Rendel, the first minister and later a man named L.D. Campbell following him in the church.

Pastor Darren and Sharon set to blow out candles on the celebratory cake. (Photo by Jake Furman/NKyTribune)

“Those men made me feel right at home,” she said.

Fast forward to 2024.

Sharon Beebe got married at the very same church where she signed on as its first member 60 years ago.

Sharon met her man – Steve Beebe – at the Joy Club. The club is designed for church members to meet within their age group.

As for Steve, it was love at first sight. The Greendale, Indiana resident would purposely make trips to First Church of Christ for guess who? Sharon!

Steve was an EMT worker, serving as a Chaplin for the group, driver for the squad as well as a safety officer.

“He (Steve) would only think of dating and marrying again if the lady was Christian,” Sharon said. “That really showed me his devotion to his religion.”

Yes, they were married – official first member of First Church of Christ – to the best man of her life, exactly sixty years after Sharon Beebe joined the congregation.

You might even call that a miracle.

Church record shows Sharon Smith as official first member 60 years ago. (Photo by Jake Furman/NKyTribune)

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