Paul F. Beetz, 88, of Mendota died Aug. 16, 2008, in a farm accident. Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in Zion United Methodist Church, Mendota, with the Rev. Gale Brandner officiating. Interment will be at Restland Cemetery, Mendota. Visitation is 4-8 p.m. Wednesday in Merritt Funeral Home, Mendota. Mr. Beetz was born Aug. 1, 1920, to Samuel Frederick and Hattie M. (Claus) Beetz. He married Doris M. Beardsley on Aug. 3, 1941, in Mendota. He farmed in the Mendota area all his life, first with his brother Sam. Together they were innovators in agriculture. The Beetz brothers separated their operation to individually farm with their respective sons. He was a lifelong member of Zion United Methodist Church in Mendota and served his church in virtually all the capacities of membership. He was a lay speaker for many area congregations and served as a member of United Methodist Foundation Board and its General Board of Global Ministries. He and his wife traveled on mission trips to the nations of Brazil, Ghana, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua and in the United States to Kentucky, Florida and Louisiana. He was a longtime Rotarian, past president and member of the Paul Harris (founder) Foundation. He was a delegate to the Rotary International Convention in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1996 He was a board member for Mendota Community Hospital serving also as president. He was a member of Mendota Museum and Historic Society and Breaking the Prairie Museum board. Since 2003, he had been a landowner cooperator with the Foods Resource Bank project and was a National Bank of Mendota board director, Mendota Grade School board member and received many awards and certificates of achievement, not the least of which was the Prairie Farmer National Master Farmer Award in 1978. He is survived by his wife; five daughters, Leslie (Richard) Althaus of Mendota, Alice Beetz of Fayetteville, Ark., Martha Fouts of Mendota, Barbara (David) Melchiorre of Wilmette and Sally Raccuglia of Boulder, Colo.; one son, Stephen Beetz of Mendota; nine grandchildren; 11 greatgrandchildren; nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by two sisters and one brother. Memorials may be directed to Zion United Methodist Church, Foods Resource Bank in care of the church, or to the donor's choice.