Steve Reeves - Biography

Biography - Family

by George Helmer

Despite his divine destiny, Reeves began life about as far from Mount Olympus and the ancient gods as it was possible to get. Glasgow, Montana is a small town a few miles from the Canadian border, where the northern plains stretch for miles in every direction. It was there on January 21, 1926 that Steve Reeves was born. Steve is a descendent of a combination of Welsh, Irish, German and English heritage.

On his mother’s side of the family, Steve’s great grandfather Boyce, a tailor by trade, came to America from England and settled with his wife in a small town in Ohio. Later, his son Stephen Boyce moved from Ohio to Montana and eventually purchased a hotel and cattle and sheep ranch in the community of Scobey, Montana. Within two years all his investments had disappeared. The hotel had burned down, the cattle had contracted hoof and mouth disease, and the sheep were wiped out by some other sort of ailment. Not to be stopped by these unfortunate events Steve’s Grandfather Stephen never quit. Stephen Boyce married Margaret Edith Henderson and had six sons and a daughter. Two of the sons died one from influenza and the other was hit by a car. Stephen’s daughter Golden Viola Boyce became Steve’s beloved mother.

On the Reeves side of the family, Steve remembers hearing about his great grandfather Manasseh Thomas Reeves. He was a veteran of the Civil War. Manasseh fought under General Sherman’s Command. He married Sarah Feustal of Fairport, Iowa. Steve owned letters written by his great grandfather wrote and was impressed with the clarity of thought and excellent handwriting.

Manasseh’s son, Sylvester Norris Reeves (Steve’s paternal grandfather), was a big man for his day - standing 6’4” and weighing 240 pounds. The family moved to Montana sometime during his youth. Sylvester married Jessie Day and they had four boys: Ted, Claude, Lester, and Archie. Archie died sometime before his twenty-first birthday. Sylvester and Jessie Reeves divorced while the children were still young. Later Jessie remarried to a man by the name of Jack W. Peters.

Jack Peters and Jessie came to Scobey sometime before 1915, as the filing of their homestead was dated 1915. Jessie worked in Burton’s restaurant in town to help out the family. The boys Ted, Claude, and Lester all attended and graduated from Scobey High School.

Claude enlisted in the army in WW1, eventually returning to Scobey to help with the ranch.. Ted left to accept a scholarship to the University of California at Berkeley but fell in love along the way and never made it to school.

Jack Peters, Jessie Reeves Peters, and Lester leased land for a ranch about nine miles north of Richland, Montana. Lester was a carpentry contractor and also worked very hard on the ranch.

Lester Dell Reeves and Golden Boyce were neighbors in Scobey and were considered by the people of Danials County to be the most desirable and attractive couple around.

Lester was an extremely fit man who stood 6’1” and weighed 200 pounds. He had broad shoulders and a fantastic build. His physique was genetically passed on to him and was honed by hard physical work.

Steve’s mother Goldie (Golden) was a very pretty, loving, and giving person.

They were married by the local Methodist minister Ernest Kistler on April 3, 1924. Lester was 24 years old at the time and Golden was 18. They had only one child, Stephen Lester Reeves (Steve Reeves) before Lester's untimely accident.

Find out much much more about Steve's family life in the members area of this site. Hear about the Montana Earthquake of 1935 and what happed to Steve. Read about Steve being hit by a car and dragged down the street. Steve had many adventures and close calls in his life - get the full story only by becoming a member!

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