Roy Jean Bement was the eighth-great grandson of John Beaumont (1612-1647), the emigrant ancestor to America.
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Obituary for Roy Jean BeMent
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Tuesday, July 13, 1999

Roy Jean BeMent, 79, Sarasota, died July 11, 1999. He was born June 20, 1920, in Rockford, Ill., and came to Sarasota 40 years ago.

After serving in the Navy Submarine Corps in World War II, he opened his first restaurant in 1946 in Minier, Ill. In Sarasota he opened BeMent's Country Boy Restaurant and Woodshed Lounge, which he and his wife owned and operated until 1983. In 1989 they opened BeMent's Southern Kitchen, which they ran until their retirement in 1993. Over the years they also owned other restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton. BeMent was a master Mason and member of Scottish Rite and Shriners, and Elks Club.

Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Olive; a daughter and son, four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
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Roy Jean Bement, born 20 Jun 1920 at Rockford, Illinois; married 3 Dec 1938 Olive Opal Schertz at Keokuk, Iowa. She was born 19 Oct 1917 at Minier, Illinois, daughter of Edwin C. Schertz (1872-1945) by his wife Katie L. Saltar (1878-1858). Jean was the only son of Lyle Henry Bement (b. 1894) and Iris (Finks) Bement (1901-1990).

Olive came from a family of nine children that settled in McLean County, Illinois abound 1890; and was born in the family home at Minier, Illinois. Her brothers were successful in operating Schertz Electric and Hardware, which was the major source of appliances, electrical and plumbing parts/repairs, and other household items for Minier and its neighboring communities.

Jean resided with his grandparents during his early childhood and was later raised by his mother and step father. When he graduated from grade school (1933) his mother told him his surname was Bement, not Bare, but told him little else about his father. Jean worked in a bakery while in high school, and after graduation moved to Bloomington and continued to work in a bakery. He eloped with Olive prior to his senior year of high school, and remained secretly married until after graduation. In 1941 Jean was a setup man and in 1942 an assembler at Barnes Drill in Rockford. In 1944 he enlisted in the United States Navy, went to boot camp at Great Lakes, Illinois; Cook & Bakers School in Gulfport, Mississippi; submarine training in New London, Connecticut; and sonar school in San Diego, California. He then entered the submarine service where he remained until the close of the war, serving in the Pacific Theatre near Guam on the USS Sea Devil (SS400). (His military records indicated service from 25 May 1944 - 16 Mar 1946, honorably discharged as "ships cook third class", certificate #2405483). After the war both Jean and Olive became restauranteurs, and in 1946 he changed the spelling of the family name from Bement to BeMent, when they opened their first restaurant beginning with the Koffee Kup Kafe in Minier, Illinois which they owned and ran for fourteen years.

The original Koffee Kup Kafe was located in the back of the town barber shop. This was quickly outgrown, and the restaurant relocated to a much larger building. The restaurant became to place to meet and eat in the area (other than the local churches) not only for the small farming community of Minier (pop. 850), but also other surrounding towns. The restaurant was open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. During the mid 1950's, during Juleinne's high school days, and the newfound music of rock 'n roll the restaurant became even more popular as the tables and chairs were pushed aside, the juke box turned up, and the sock hop began after the many victorious basketball games. The restaurant was taken over by Jean's mother, Iris Bare, who continued to operate it for another four years until it was sold in 1963. Iris, and Jean's step father, Wayne Bare moved to Sarasota around 1966.
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